Frozen in Time
by Pinkcandle
Summary: After many long years of searching, Ken finally finds his original partner in the Digital World struggle, Ryo. Unfortunately, things don't quite go the way Ken had planned. But perhaps a new adventure can remedy what was lost between them. Ryo/Ken AU
1. Long Years of Searching

One is the loneliest number... Sure it was a line in a song, but it was also painfully true. Everything was right between the real world and the Digital World again, and that meant people had the time to sit back, relax, and explore their feelings. This led to every one of the chosen children pairing up left and right. Many of the older kids who had relationships before went back to the same. Taichi and Yamato, Joe and Mimi, Willis and Izzy... The youngers kids he'd become associated with even found their significant others amongst each other. Davis and Kari, Cody was courting Yolei, and even TK was pursuing the feelings he'd discovered for the older Sora. It seemed everybody had somebody except for Ken. He tried to tell himself that he was okay with this, but Ken was getting older now and certain feelings were crawling up the back of his neck. Feelings that his friends were acting on while he had to hold it all in and push deep down. Finally he was struck with the urge to seek a special companion of his own. But who was right for Ken Ichijouji? This got him thinking about what he liked in people and what he most certainly did not like. Being the genius perfectionist that he was, Ken made a list. It was long and far too over-thought, but it led him to one conclusion. Ken had already fallen for someone. Memories from farther back than he realized began to stir in Ken. He found himself at his computer almost at all hours, sending message after message into the infinite reaches of cyberspace. Are you out there? Have you seen him? Been missing. Please contact. Can you hear me? Is it too late? Ken would send out ten, even twenty messages at a time, day after day, and then wait... Surely he'd hear from somebody. Anybody.

The screen flickered back at him aimlessly, the only light in his otherwise dark bedroom. Ken didn't keep it dark on purpose, of course. He just started working during the day, when he didn't need to turn on the light, and got so wrapped up in what he was doing that the sun would go down and he wouldn't even notice, nor care to get up and turn off the light. His Digivice would sit on the desk next to him, paitently waiting for something to happen. But nothing did. One night, little Minomon, who usually watched from his place snuggled up on the top bunk, waiting for his partner to come up to sleep, peered over the edge and frowned slightly at what he was seeing. Ken hunched over the computer, typing furiously away at what the Digimon knew was an ungodly hour. Minomon extended the little stem atop his head and wrapped it around the divider bar, before using it to lower himself down to the ground. Once his pinecone-like body touched the floor, he let go and hopped over to Ken, stopping at his feet and tugging on his pant leg with a tiny green paw. "Ken?" he asked in a nasally voice. "Ken, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find him. Contact him," was Ken's only reply, his fingers not stopping nor his eyes looking away from the screen.

"Find who, Ken?" Minomon asked, crawling up his boy's leg to try and wriggle into his lap.

Ken moved back just enough to let his Digimon into his lap. "Ryo."

"Ryo?" Minomon asked, his little eyes going wide. After a moment, he whined quietly, his ears drooping. "Ken... no one's seen Ryo in eight years."

"I know," Ken said, "but no one was really looking for him either. Our two worlds are connected now. We're so much closer than we used to be. I might be able to reach him now."

Minomon looked up at his boy quietly for a moment, but eventually nodded, turning himself over and peering over the edge of the desk at the computer screen. "Well, alright, Ken. But you can't stay up too late, you're starting to get sleep deprived," he said in an almost scolding tone. The little Digimon was always very concerned about his boy's health.

"I know," Ken said again. "But I'd hate to be asleep when a reply comes. It could be important and I'd miss it."

"But Ken..." Minomon started to argue, but he closed his mouth as he looked up at the boy. Ken's eyes were glued to the screen. He was completely dedicated to this. Minomon decided to just keep watch and lead Ken to bed if he started to nod off. They sat there, looking at the screen together, as Ken sent off tons of e-mails and messages. But suddenly, Minomon noticed a little flashing icon on the corner of the screen. "Ken..." he whispered, tugging on the boy's sleeve. "Ken, you got a response."

He gasped. "What?" Ken at once had his hand on the mouse and clicked on the flashing icon. His eyes roamed over the message before widening. "Oh my God..."

Minomon picked himself up a bit to try and read the e-mail. "Are you looking for the Legendary Tamer?" he read aloud. "He's living in Time Village..." Minomon raised a brow slightly. "Time Village? Where's that?"

"Exactly," Ken said. His fingers were back on the keys. 'Where is Time Village? On the Server continent some where?'

The two waited in silence before a response suddenly popped up. "No, on Directory..." Minomon read.

Ken licked his lips thoughtfully before typing again. "What does the Legendary Tamer look like? Is he human? How long has he been there?"

"He's human," Minomon read, scrambling up onto the desk to get a better look at the text. "He has dark skin and blue eyes. He lived here for a short while, left for a while, came back, and has been living here for four years since."

Ken's breathing hitched. "Oh my God, that could really be Ryo... How do I get to Directory?" he typed out.

"If you would like, I could set up a Digital Gate for you," Minomon read. "I am, after all, the leader of Time Village... So long as you are also a tamer, you should be able to get here." Just as he finished reading, another window popped up on Ken's screen. It was the Digital Gate, just as it usually appeared when one of the chosen opened it. But instead of showing any of the usual destinations on Server, the little window showed a snowy tundra, with huge golden gears littering the landscape. The screen of Ken's Digivice suddenly jumped to life, shining brightly from where it sat on the desk. "Is this such a good idea, Ken?" Minomon asked quietly. "We don't even know if this guy is telling the truth..."

"Either way," Ken replied as he got up and moved to the closet, "we can just take a gate back home if we don't find what we're looking for." He began rummaging through his clothes. The June summer weather had been horribly hot here lately, but shorts and a tank weren't going to fly in a snowy setting like Time Village. Ken decided to throw on a pair of slim fitting jeans and a white sweater that showed off part of his slender stomach. Next he grabbed a small bag in which he put a purple sleeveless number, an extra pair of socks, from fruit bars, and a water bottle. He'd be prepared this time. Minomon watched his boy prepare, still worried, but deciding to keep quiet. He knew when Ken was determined. When he came back over to the desk, Minomon jumped up onto the boy's shoulder, holding on and looking at the gate, offering Ken a nod to show that he was ready. Ken nodded back. He picked up his Digivice and held it up to the computer screen. It only dawned on the boy as the bright light engulfed his body that he should have waited and told his parents where he'd be going.

Ken's feet fell into snow that crunched beneath his shoes when the distinct tugging feeling of moving through the gate, and the light, had faded. All around him was a landscape very similar to what he had seen on the tiny window of a screen. Gray skies, snow, and gears. The now evolved Wormmon sat on his shoulder, looking around until his eyes spotted someone approaching. "Were you the one I was speaking with?" Turning to look, coming towards them was a strange looking Digimon. His upper body almost looked like a human's, in black clothing and a red cloak that covered most of his face, except for his stiched up mouth. In his two gloved hands, he held a long-handled mallet. The lower half of his body was a clock, with crooked hands and a small piece missing, revealing a red eye glowing inside. A second, mechancial set of arms came off of this part of his body, one with a claw-like hand and the other with something that looked like a raygun. And beneath him were large, metal, yellow feet that crunched even louder on the snow as he approached.

Ken gasped softly hearing the voice from behind him. When he turned to see the rather large Digimon coming toward him, he took a cautious step back. "If it was about meeting the Legendary Tamer, then yes." Indigo eyes looked the half-human, half-clock Digimon up and down. "You know where I can find him? I knew him... a very long time ago."

"Yes, I do," the Digimon said, nodding his head. Wormmon was poised at the ready, prepared to attack if this Digimon turned out not to have good intentions. The Digimon lowered his mallet, putting it in one hand and letting the head lay in the snow non-threateningly, reaching out his free hand to shake. "My name is Clockmon, I run Time Village. And you are?"

"My name is Ken Ichijouji." The boy reached forward, now feeling less threatened, and shook hands with Clockmon. "I bear the Crest of Kindness. This is my partner, Wormmon."

Wormmon bowed his head respectfully, though he kept his eyes locked on Clockmon. "A crest, huh?" Clockmon said, nodding his head slightly. "Then you must be a chosen child. Come." He turned and started to lead the way. On the horizon, the gray skies began to clear and revealed buildings that made up the actual village. There were a few other Clockmon, but most of the Digimon on the snowy streets were Hagurumon, Penguinmon, and Solarmon. "The Legendary Tamer and his friends didn't have crests."

"His friends?" Ken asked curiously. "You mean... other children have been here, too?"

"Yes," Clockmon said, nodding his head. "There were two boys and a girl with a Renamon partner. The Legendary Tamer left with them the day she showed up."

"But... He's here now, right?" Ken asked, now hopeful. He would hate to have come here for nothing. "Please, is Ryo here?"

"Yes," Clockmon said, nodding his head. "But he doesn't live inside the village," he added, as they passed through the buildings and once again were upon open, snowy ground. "His home is a bit farther out." Soon enough, they began to approach a small cabin that was sitting at the bottom of a cliff that was only as tall as the house. There was a cave next to the cabin, and as they approached, something stirred inside. A growl emenated from inside the cave, and a huge creature slipped out. He had a strongly built black body, with shiny brown armor covering his shoulders, thighs, and his entire face, even his eyes. He had a long, thick tail banded with red and blades coming from his arms. Four tattered wings emerged from his back. His long, knife-like claws slipped through the snow as he came to stand in front of the cabin, exposing his teeth as the small group approached.

Ken gasped. He at once ducked behind Clockmon. The large black dragon was quite frightening and Ken wasn't sure Stingmon could take it. "Wh-What is that thing?"

"It's the Legendary Tamer's partner," Clockmon said.

"His partner?" Wormmon echoed confusedly. Last time they had seen Ryo, his partner had been Veemon. Wormmon didn't know he could get another one!

Cyberdramon roared and started to run towards them, and got dangerously close, teeth bared, claws up, when there was suddenly a shout of, "Cyberdramon!" The door of the cabin had slammed open. In a flash, Cyberdramon's torso was bound by a glowing whip. A boy emerged from the cabin, the end of the whip coming from one of his arms, which was completely covered in metal. He had mocha tanned skin and windswept brown hair, and bright blue eyes that narrowed with concentration as he grabbed his armored arm with his unarmored one, yanking backwards, pulling the huge dragon Digimon back.

Ken had closed his eyes shut when Cyberdramon began to charge. Great. He'd come here looking for a friend and now he was going to die without even seeing who this Legendary Tamer was. That's when he heard the voice. It was far deeper than it had once been, but Ken could hear the familiar child behind pubescent vocal cords. Indigo eyes peeked open as he peered around Clockmon, and then widened. He recognized that dark skin, swept hair, blazing eyes anywhere. "Ryo..."

Ryo waited until Cyberdramon stopped struggling, and jogged out into the snow to catch up to his Digimon. "Cyberdramon, down!" he commanded. The feirce Digimon looked at him, but when Ryo tugged on the whip, he complied, crouching down into the snow. The boy crouched next to him, gently patting the Digimon's armored face. His hands were hidden in pale yellow gloves that had long ago lost their color. He wore dusty pants and high white and red sneakers. Around his waist, something that looked like a black zippered poncho, with pockets to spare, and a thick belt. He had a gray shirt that had a long sleeve on one side, but the other sleeve had been torn off. And around his neck was tied a red neckerchief. He hushed the growling Digimon, eyes focused on what he was doing. "It's just Clockmon, Cyberdramon. Calm down," he said firmly. Once the Digimon had stopped, he drew back the glowing whip. It slid into the metal device fixated to his arm before it clicked shut. Cyberdramon got up and snorted, but stepped back and stood in a less threatening stance. "Sorry about that, Clockmon, I don't know what's gotten into him. He's usually fine when you come to vis-" Ryo looked up, and his eyebrows knitted together confusedly. He only then realized that someone was standing behind Clockmon. "Who's this?"

"This is Ken Ichijouji," Clockmon introduced, standing aside to reveal the boy hidden behind him. "He's come to see you."

"Ken?" Ryo gasped, standing up quickly.

Ken smiled and made a move to run forward, but he had second thoughts. Cyberdramon was clearly the defensive type, meaning he would take the offense in a heartbeat to defend what was his. Running at the dragon's partner would probably be a horrible idea that would get him killed. Instead, he tugged shly on the white sweater he wish covered more of his skin. "Hello, Ryo," Ken said with a small wave.

"Oh man..." When Ken didn't run forward, Ryo did. Wormmon hopped off the boy's shoulder and down into the snow just in time for the older boy to literally pick Ken up in a strong embrace. "Ken! It's been so long since I've seen you!" he laughed. Cyberdramon watched from his post, wings twitching curiously.

Ryo had grown quite tall. It was obvious by how high Ken felt himself lifted from the ground. Of course... Ryo was close to twenty now while Ken was only sixteen. The pale boy laughed, the sound light and soft. Ken wrapped his arms around Ryo's neck, burying his face there as well, and lifted his knees up behind him. He didn't expect the heat rising in his cheeks, but didn't much care. "I can't believe I found you!"

Eventually Ryo put him down, pulling back. "Me either! Look at you..." He boldly touched Ken's face, looking him up and down and then brushing his long hair away from his face. "You've grown so much... how long's it been?"

"E-Eight years," Ken replied, feeling a flutter in his chest. "You've done a lot more growing than me, though... You're so tall!"

"Has it been that long? And yeah, I guess I have," he said with a laugh. "But you've definately grown more. Last time I saw you, you were this tall," he said, lowering his hand to hover at the height of his hips.

Ken laughed again, letting the gentle sound flow out of him. "I remember this," he said and touched the red neckerchief. "We made a castle in the sandbox once and you used it as a flag. Another time you used it to carry roley poleys homes. Then I fell off the jungle gym once, and you let me use it for my bloody nose."

"Yup! It's the same one," Ryo said, nodding his head. He grinned widely at Ken for a moment, before suddenly snapping to attention when he saw Wormmon shivering out of the corner of his eye. "Wormmon!" he exclaimed, picking the Digimon up out of the snow. "It's good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too, Ryo," Wormmon said, bowing his head as his greeting.

"Well, come inside, you two," Ryo said quickly, gesturing towards the door to his cabin. "Clockmon, would you like to come inside?" he asked.

"No thank you. I need to go meet Hagurumon," Clockmon said. "Thank you for the offer, though. It was nice to meet you, Ken, Wormmon," he said, bowing as well before turning around and starting to clomp off through the snow.

"Well, come on, then," Ryo said, waving for Ken to follow him as he headed inside. Cyberdramon watched as the two of them passed. Once the door was closed, he turned around, and slinked back into the cave beside the house. Inside, Ryo placed Wormmon down on a wooden table. It was a small house, with only three close rooms. The one they came into was both the kitchen and the living room. In the front of the room, there was a kotatsu, with pillows on the four sides for kneeling under the heated table. There were cushions piled up on the floor over by the fireplace, as well. There was a small kitchen in the corner of the room, where water was boiling in a worn-out black pot. "Make yourselves comfortable," Ryo said, as he went to check on the stove.

Ken sat down at the kotatsu, kneeling properly with his hands in his lap. He looked around the small house and smiled. "Did you build this place yourself, Ryo? I wouldn't be surprised if you did. You were always making things out of whatever you could get your hands on."

"Well, I had help," Ryo said with a smile. "Cyberdramon is pretty handy with carrying supplies. We had to get all of this stuff from outside of this sector, after all."

The boy nodded. "I noticed there aren't many trees around here. None, really." Ken frowned slightly. "Do you live here alone, Ryo?"

"Yeah," Ryo said, nodding his head as he started to reach into the cabinets. "Well, I mean, Cyberdramon is always with me, but he's not very good for conversation," he said, trying to laugh.

"What about... the other kids? Clockmon said there were three of them. Where are they?"

"Three?" Ryo asked, looking over his shoulder. "Oh, he must have meant Hirokazu, Kenta, and Rika. They're a group of Tamers..." He turned around, leaning against the counter. "Tamers are sort of like chosen children, but... they're from a different real world than yours. A different dimension." Ryo adjusted the heat on the stove and then walked over to the table, taking off his sneakers and putting them near the door before he kneeled down. "They're back in their world."

"Wow..." Ken breathed. Different dimensions had always been considered outsite the realm of possibilities, ever after the discovery of the Digital World. After all, it was a byproduct of the real world, not its own creation all together. Ken's thoughts didn't stay on this for long though, fascinating as it was. Instead his dark eyes were caught up in staring at Ryo. Ken gazed upon and studied every feature that long lost face had to offer. Mocha skin seemed rougher than it had once been, no longer tended to by feather pillows, clean water, or even lotion. Ryo's face told stories of wandering practically a lifetime through deserts that had blown sand against his skin, snow valleys that froze his features, and oceans where the salt stung him clean. But within all that age earned too early were those blue eyes. Blue eyes that were like an autumn sky, rich and dark, lost between strength and gentleness. Ken couldn't tear his own eyes away, even when he knew he was staring.

"Yeah, it's pretty crazy. I lived in their dimension for a while, but..." His voice trailed off when he realized that the other boy was staring at him. He frowned, touching his face, trying to see if there was something on it. "Is something wrong, Ken?" he asked after a moment of searching and being unable to find anything.

He finally closed his eyes and shook his head. "No... No, I'm sorry. You were saying?"

"Just that I lived in their dimension for a while... but decided to come back," Ryo said, as he took off his gloves and folded them on the table. His hands were weatherworn and scarred. "I suppose I've been living here for a while since then."

A tiny gasp whispered past Ken's lips when he saw Ryo's hands. He took the right into both his own, touching the scars gently. "I did you... a horrible injustice, Ryo..."

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked, looking surprised. "You needed to go back, Ken..."

"I should have been looking for you sooner," Ken argued. "You've obviously gone through much more than you should have."

Ryo opened his mouth to argue, but then his lips fell back into a smile. He laughed, putting his other hand over the back of one of Ken's. "You haven't changed at all."

Ken shook his head. "I was weak and a brat. The only thing that hasn't changed is my weakness. I've gotten stronger, sure, but I don't hold a candle to the others. Certainly not to you." He smiled. "You're legendary, apparently."

"A brat?" Ryo murmured, frowning slightly. He shrugged it off and smiled slightly. "Yeah, apparently. Not in our dimension, obviously. But in the other one and the Digital World, a lot of people know me. But not by name, just as... The Legendary Tamer."

"Well..." Ken squeezed Ryo's hand. "To me, you'll always be Ryo Akiyama, the boy from down the street who collected roley poleys."

Ryo grinned, nodding his head. "I'm glad." Just then, there was a loud whistle, and he let go of Ken's hands to go tend to it. He came back with three wood-carved cups filled with tea. Steam rose from the cups as he placed them down in front of Ken and Wormmon, and then took his eat with his own. "So, tell me about our world. What's been going on with you since I left?"

"With me?" The smile Ken had been wearing immediately fell. He cupped his hands around the tea, holding it close so the steam his his face. "You don't want to hear about that," Ken insisted. "The real world, though... Not much has changed. Cell phones and iPods, maybe, but not much else."

"iPods?" Ryo asked, scratching at his head. He shook his head, and insisted, "B-but I do! I want to know what you've been doing all these years!"

Ken nodded. "O-Oh, yes! iPods are actually really handy. Most electronic stuff these days is for show. You know, you buy the latest and greatest only to hear about a new version of it the next day. iPods were brilliant though. Remember how you had to carry a walkman with you everywhere and could only listen to one CD? Well, an iPod can store hundreds of CDs at once. Maybe even thousands. Plus, you can listen to them whenever you want!"

"I think I might have seen people with those in the other dimension..." Ryo hummed, scratching at his chin slightly. "I had no idea what they were, though. And if I had asked Rika, she would have made fun of me," he said, laughing lightly, only to quickly stop and say, "Oh, sorry. I forgot you don't know her."

"One of your friends, right?"

"She's one of the other Tamers... they're basically chosen children of the other dimension," Ryo explained. "There were nine of them, not including myself."

Ken laughed. "We still have them beat. There are twelve of us."

"Twelve, really?" Ryo asked, leaning forward on his elbows. "Are they as good of a team as we were?" he asked, smirking slightly.

"Oh, they're an excellent team. There's no doubt in that. However... I don't think two of them could have accomplished what you and I did. I honestly believe it would take all twelve to come even close. We all work very well together and we're such close friends, but... There's still just enough tension under the surface that they wouldn't be able to work together well enough to do what we did."

"Tension?" Ryo asked, tilting his head to the side a bit and resting it in his hands. "What do you mean by that?"

"They all have something they don't quite like about another one," Ken explained. "I think the stress would have brought out the worst in each other."

"I guess that's inevitable in a big group," Ryo said with a shrug. "The Tamers had troubles, too, but I don't think any of them disliked each other... well, except maybe Hirokazu and Rika," he murmured, shrugging his shoulders.

Ken nodded. "You and I depended on each other too much to have any qualms."

"It was nice having another human around back then..." he said, smiling gently. "I missed it a lot."

"I looked up to you. Admired you deeply..." Ken's eyes glanced up, gazing into that dark face. "I never forgot those feelings. I held onto them... and let them grow..."

"I'm glad you didn't forget about me," Ryo said, as he lifted his cup to his lips and drank. Wormmon was already done with his tea, having just been drinking as he watched the two of them talk. "I certainly didn't forget about you. I wish I could have gone back to our world to see you, but... I was never able to open a Digital Gate to ours. My D-Arc didn't work like my Digivice did."

Ken laughed. "I think you've been away from humans for too long," he said.

"What do you mean by that?" Ryo murmured, pursing his lips around the edge of the cup.

Ken shook his head. "Oh, nothing... It's all right." He sipped at his tea. "So, are you still going on adventures, or have you settled down now?"

"I go out and travel around sometimes, but... When you've seen almost the entire Digital World, there isn't much more to go see." He looked over his shoulder out the window that gave him a view of the cave. "Every time I had trouble with Cyberdramon, I would move to a new town or village. I even moved to a new continent a few times."

"I've only ever seen File Island and Server," Ken sighed. "I always knew there was more to the Digital World, I just could never imagine how big it really was."

"It's huge," Ryo sighed, leaning back on his knees. "File Island and Server... Then there's Directory, Folder, WWW, the Continent of Flame... And a few others. Big continents, little islands... there's a lot to see."

Ken looked at Ryo with youthful excitement and awe. "And you've seen all of it?"

"Yeah," Ryo answered, smiling. His expression was a little hollow, though. "I've seen a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if I'd seen everything there is to see in this world."

"That's so amazing, Ryo..." Ken leaned forward, obviously eager to hear more. "What's WWW like? Tell me?"

"WWW is... desolate," he said gently. "It's mostly just home to Ogudomon. He's a Super Demon Lord... we landed there by accident and almost got killed in our camp in the middle of the night. So I didn't get to see too much."

Ken frowned. "Oh, I see... Well, what about Folder?"

"Folder is a place full of areas that are led by different Lords. They're all very protective of their territory. Lots of castles, militarized areas... and there's a whole town that's a hospital, and a factory devoted to putting cyborg parts on Digimon soldiers... I wandered into a lot of the wrong places." He laughed gently, looking at his hands. "I found a nice place called Star City there, though, to live for a while."

"So..." Ken laughed as well. "Would you say you have more friends or more enemies around here?"

"Probably more enemies," Ryo said with a chuckle. "But that doesn't mean I don't have a lot of friends, too. Everyone in Time Village and Star City... they're all my friends. South from here, in Meditation Dome... all the Digimon there are friendly. And then there are tons of small villages that I've helped, and they've given me food and shelter in return. The Digital World is full of hidden gems."

"I wish I could see them," Ken sighed wistfully. "All my time here was spent..." Enslaving Digimon, building an empire, being a tyrant... "Fighting."

Ryo glanced off to the side, then looked back at Ken. "I'm glad you're not the Kaiser," he said quietly.

Ken felt his breath catch in his throat. "Wh-Who?" he asked, feigning obliviousness.

"The Kaiser," Ryo repeated with a slight frown. He saw the look on Ken's face, and took a deep breath as he started to explain. "The final time I fought Millenniummon... he created evil clones of you and a few other chosens. He was trying to take control of all possible alternate realities. And in the one he brought your clone forth from... you had never stopped being the Digimon Kaiser."

The Kaiser... had still existed? There was a world that still suffered at his hand? And worst of all... Ryo had known all along? Tea suddenly soaked Ken's lap, the cup rolling across the floor, and his hands now being used to cover his face. Behind pale slender fingers came the sound of quiet sobbing. "I was such a monster!"

"Oh, Ken!" Wormmon gasped, jumping to comfort the boy. Ryo watched for a moment, before slowly standing up.

"It was the Dark Spore, wasn't it?" he asked slowly. Wormmon looked over his shoulder at the boy, and nodded meekly. Ryo looked thoughtful for a moment, before he walked over to Ken's side of the table. He suddenly fell onto one knee, and pulled Ken close. Ken tried to push Ryo away, shaking his head and still crying. He didn't deserve this. He'd reconsiled with the others, but not with Ryo. How... How could Ken possibly face his friend now, after he practically became the same evil they'd worked so hard to destroy? Ryo was a legend, a hero... He should hate Ken, not be trying to comfort him. "Millenniummon was a horrible monster," Ryo said quietly, holding Ken tightly in his arms. "His target... was me. You never should have had to get involved. You never should have been infected."

"I couldn't let him take you from me!" Ken sobbed, finally giving in and latching onto the front of Ryo's shirt.

Ryo moved one of his hands to the back of Ken's head, holding the boy's cheek to his chest. "It shouldn't have happened..." Ryo sighed quietly. "I fought Millenniummon so many times after that... I felt like you didn't need to take that spore for me. And when I met the Kaiser... I only felt angrier at him. I couldn't be angry at you for what you had become in that world. It wasn't your fault."

Ken shook his head. "Let him control me. I let him use me like that. I was so weak... I never wanted you to see me like. I thought I would never have to reveal my sins to you, but now... Now you know everything!"

"There was nothing you could have done, Ken," Ryo said, shaking his head. "Do you know how powerful Millenniummon was? He sent me through time. He incarnated evil versions of other kids for me to fight, including one I knew quite closely. He brought back to life a bunch of evil Digimon that the chosen children had defeated... He even almost killed me by blowing up an island. All of those things... you had no chance against a being that could do all of those things. You didn't let him do anything."

The boy was still shaking and crying into Ryo's shirt. "I never wanted you to know..."

"I understand," Ryo said, nodding his head slightly. "You don't need to be ashamed though, Ken... I understand exactly why that happened. I'm just... so glad that in this reality, you managed to break free." Ken choked as he tried to swallow his crying. When was the last time he'd been hugged? By his mom just the other day, sure, but... Like this... Ken lifted his gaze to meet Ryo's. That face... That handsome face that had changed so much, yet had stayed just the same. That face he thought he might never see again someday... Ken moved without thought. He didn't even feel the forward motion of his own body until his lips pressed with Ryo's, and even then, Ken didn't think to stop. Ryo gasped surprisedly, his mocha skin suddenly heating up a brilliant red and his blue eyes widening with surprise. His arms loosened and he fumbled for a moment for what to do. After a few moments he pulled back just slightly, breathing huskily and blushing terribly.

Ken's own eyes had gone wide the very second Ryo pulled away. He was hoping the older boy might reciprocate the action, but Ken knew that was an illogical and unrealistic expectation. "Shit..." he whispered, now turning away.

Ryo sat back on his knees, putting a hand over his mouth and staring for a second. Wormmon was looking quickly between them, also looking completely surprised. "Ken, I..." Ryo started, not exactly sure what to say.

"No. No, don't," Ken said, stopping Ryo before any new thoughts could come. "I... I think I made a mistake coming here. I should probably go."

Ryo went to say something else, but fell quiet. He stood up, nodding his head, and picked up Ken's cup off of the floor. He took his own and Wormmon's, and brought them over to the counter. "Okay."

Ken felt his heart sinking with guilt and regret. How could he have been so stupid? To come here after so many years and spring something like that on his friend. Idiot! Ken picked Wormmon up and hurried toward the door. "I'm so sorry. Goodbye, Ryo," he said before going out into the snow to try and find his way back to Time Village.


	2. Set Sail

Wormmon looked up at his boy, his antenna drooping. He wasn't sure what had just happened. Ken had been so young when he met Ryo. Wormmon wasn't expecting Ken to have done something like that... He looked towards the village, feeling bad for staring, but his eyes suddenly widened. "K-Ken, look!" he gasped. Hovering over the village on the horizon was a huge red dragon Digimon, with a metal-plated head and huge metal hands, two tattered wings flapping behind his back.

"Dark Side Attack!" it roared, shooting missiles from its hands at the buildings. The Digimon shrieked as they ran from the village.

Ken's own eyes widened. "Wormmon, we have to help them! You need to evolve, now!"

"Right," Wormmon said, nodding his head. He lept from Ken's arms, Digivolving in mid-air into Stingmon. "Spiking Strike!" he yelled, spearing the dragon-like Digimon from the back. He whipped around, growling deeply and slamming his metal hand into Stingmon, sending him plummeting into the snow below. Stingmon flew up again. "Hell Squeeze!" He grabbed the Digimon's tail, spinning it around before throwing it, hoping to send it away from the village so it wouldn't be damaged anymore.

"Ultimate Slicer!"

"Spiking Strike!" The two Digimon's weapons met in mid-air, and Stingmon's snapped. The insect Digimon gasped, and Megadramon roared, opening his mouth widely, and clamped his fangs around Stingmon.

"Stingmon!" Ken yelled. "I'm coming!" Ken ran forward, picking up a large piece of broken gear, and hurdled it at Megadramon. He felt a sense of power when it actually hit the Digimon in the side of the head. "Let him go!"

Megadramon turned towards Ken, narrowing his eyes and lifting up his hands, preparing missles to shoot at the boy. "Desolation Claw!" A deep, rumbling voice entered the fray. Cyberdramon shot towards Megadramon, claws out. They hacked through Megadramon's hands, and the Digimon gasped as they began to pixelate and vanish. With his gasp, Stingmon was able to escape. The sound of a whip cracking echoed out across the tundra as Ryo stepped up next to Ken, the glowing whip coming out of his armor held in his hand. With a second crack, Cyberdramon turned to face his foe. "Desolation Claw!" With a second attack, his foe was quickly vanquished. Megadramon exploded into a shower of pixels, and reformed on the ground as an egg.

Although impressed, Ken didn't take the time to congradulate Ryo or gawk in awe at Cyberdramon's obvious power. Instead he ran forward to where Stingmon was hovering down toward the ground. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I-I'm fine, Ken," Stingmon said, even though he devolved back into Wormmon a moment later and fell into the boy's arms. Ryo, meanwhile, had met Cyberdramon by the egg, and picked it up in his arms.

Ken looked worriedly down at his Digimon. "Did Cyberdramon hit you with that attack? I saw how close he came. Did he hurt you?"

"No Ken, he didn't hit me at all," Wormmon said, shaking his head. "The only one that hurt me was Megadramon..."

Ken nodded "Good, good..." Deciding he at least owed Ryo that much, he approached the other boy, but didn't get too terribly close. "That was... impressive. You have great control with your partner, Ryo."

Cyberdramon started to growl, but Ryo put his hand up, stopping the Digimon. "Thanks," he said quietly. "You and Wormmon worked well together, too... You've gotten a lot better."

"Yes, Wormmon is a wonderful partner. He's the best I could have asked for." He smiled down at his Digimon. "Wormmon had brought out the best in me and helped me realize my potential."

Wormmon smiled in that way of his up at his partner. "I'm glad," Ryo said, nodding. "You guys had a rough start, so it's great to see that you're working well together." He looked towards the village, frowning. "Cyberdramon, go make sure everyone's okay," he said, which got a nod from his Digimon, who shot off into the snowy streets to check.

Ken watched the Digimon sprint off. He looked around at the rubble of the demolished houses and frowned. "Does this village get attacked often?"

"No, actually," Ryo said, frowning. "It's been a very long time since it got attacked... I have to wonder what that Megadramon was doing," he sighed, holding the egg up.

"Sometimes they go a little rogue," he offered with a shrug. "He is a Virus type, after all. They can fly off the handle for no reason."

"There hasn't been a Megadramon up here for years," Ryo said with a frown. "And I wouldn't have expected one to come back just to attack it , if he did, I would have expected him sooner... I just wonder why he came back."

Ken just shrugged again. "Maybe you can ask him when he hatches again. Another Digimon here might have done something to upset it."

"It's likely," Ryo said. "We'll leave for Primary Village later, then. Hang around File Island until he hatches again." He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Haven't been to File Island in a dog's age..."

"Why do you have to take him there?" Ken asked. "Just hatch him here. You have all you need to make a proper nest."

Ryo shook his head. "No, Ketomon aren't meant for the cold weather. And he wouldn't like being kept in the house. Plus, there aren't any other baby Digimon around. He'd be much happier in Primary Village."

Ken nodded. "I suppose that's true... Can you make it to File Island on your own all right?"

"Yes, Cyberdramon and I will be able to get there just fine. File Island isn't actually that far from Directory." It was then that Cyberdramon returned, standing tall over his partner. Ryo looked up at the snorting Digimon, and Cyberdramon offered a rather uncharacteristic thumbs-up with a clawed hand. "Good," Ryo said, nodding his head. He then turned to Ken. "So, were you going-" he started, only for Cyberdramon to touch him on the shoulder. He looked up at the Digimon, who was frowning slightly. Cyberdramon then started off in one direction, and Ryo quickly followed.

The pale boy frowned. Cyberdramon was going to be like that? Really? "You can't just interrupt us like that!" he shouted at the Digimon. "Ryo isn't just yours!"

"Ken," Wormmon said, frowning and looking up at the boy. "I think something's wrong with Cyberdramon... I don't think he understands."

"Still, I haven't seen Ryo in eight years." Ken continued to frown after the large dragon. "Stay here," he said to Wormmon and set him on the ground. Ken ran up around Cyberdramon, standing in his path. "Now you listen here! I understand that Ryo is your partner, but he's my friend, too! If I want a moment to say goodbye, then I deserve it!"

Cyberdramon and Ryo both skid to a stop, looking confused as to why Ken had stopped them. "Ken..." Ryo said meekly, gesturing to the large dragon Digimon. "Cyberdramon was going to show me... I think your Digital Gate was broken during the attack."

"What..." Indigo eyes widened. Ken at once took off toward the gate he'd come through. It had been an old rabbit-ear television from the 40's, fitting in well with the village made from grandfather clock parts. Sure enough, he saw it broken, the screen cracked open and smoking slightly. "Oh no!"

Cyberdramon and Ryo were hot on the boy's heels, with Wormmon following behind. Ryo's face fell to see that he had interpretted his Digimon correctly. Usually the revelation felt good, but this time it wasn't happy news his Digimon was bringing. "Great..." Ryo sighed, coming to inspect it. "Ken, try your Digivice anyway," he suggested. "You never know, it might still have something left..."

Ken ripped his Digivice from his belt loop and held it up to the damaged gate. It beeped feebly, the screen only flashing once and then dying out. "No... No, open!" the boy shouted, thrusting his arm out again.

Ryo bit his lip as he watched the screen feebly attempt to start with no success. His own D-Arc had never been able to get a response, but he tried anyway. Holding up his armored arm, he pressed a few buttons, making a flat, holographic screen project, hovering over it. He tried to get a response, but got even less than Ken did, the television doing absolutely nothing. He sighed, closing down his D-Arc. "I'm sorry, Ken."

"I... I didn't even tell my parents I was leaving..." Ken whispered, starting to tear up for the second time that day. "They're going to think I ran away again."

"Ken," Ryo put his hand on the boy's shoulder, biting his lip. "Ken, please don't cry... There's plenty of gates over on Server. File Island is between Directory and Server, so if you just come with Cyberdramon and I, we can get you to a gate."

Ken gasped and he turned to face Ryo. "And you can come with me! Back home!"

"Yeah, I... guess I could," Ryo said, smiling slightly.

Ken returned the smile. "Wouldn't you like that?"

"It'd be nice," Ryo said. He turned towards the television again, focusing on it's sparking. "So, when do you want to leave for File Island?"

He shifted the bag on his shoulder. "Everything I need is right here. I can leave when ever you're ready, Ryo."

"Alright..." Ryo proceeded to check his pockets, then zippered them back up and gave a nod. He took the DigiEgg and passed it over to Cyberdramon, who took it into his arms. Ryo then jumped up onto the dragon Digimon's back, and offered his hand down to help Ken on. Ken took the offered hand and climbed up. He'd never gotten this close to Cyberdramon before, and it turned out to be a mistake. Ken felt his heart hammering inside his chest, hard and fast, painfully so. The boy screamed in shock and fell off the dragon's back, landing in the snow. Indigo eyes went wide as he watched the white snow turn grey along with everything else around him. Ken could hear waves far off in the distance, though it was almost like a roar in his own head, and he shook terribly where he lay. Ryo gasped, jumping off of Cyberdramon's back to crouch next to Ken in the snow. "Ken? Ken!" he called, shaking the boy's shoulders. "Ken, can you hear me?" he asked, as he waved for his Digimon to back away, which Cyberdramon did silently.

"I don't want to go back!" Ken cried. He was sure he felt the snow melting under him, turning to dark water. The pain in his chest got worse and it forced Ken to roll over, clutching his chest. His hair fell away to reveal a dark red scar on his neck that burned and throbbed under his skin. Ryo thought quickly for a moment, quickly putting together what had happened. Unsure of what to do, he knew he didn't want Ken laying the snow. He could get himself sick. He quickly picked the boy up, and gestured for Cyberdramon and Wormmon to follow him as he headed back towards his house. The two Digimon followed, one looking sick with worry and the other stoic as usual. Ken clutched Ryo's shirt in his fist. He eyes were clenched shut as he tried to fight off the images of the haunted shore. Even when Ryo tried to set him down in the cabin, Ken clung for dear life. He'd been free from the nightmore for too long to be pulled back in now. Cyberdramon went back into his cave as Ryo set Ken down on the pillows in front of the fireplace. With a bit of help from Wormmon, he was able to get the fire started without leaving Ken's side. "I'm sorry," he breathed as he pet Ken's hair. "I didn't think that through..."

Held in Ryo's arms with the fire getting him warm again, Ken was able to think a bit more clearly. "Wh-What is he?" the boy asked, voice trembling.

"Cyberdramon..." Ryo looked towards the cave through the window, sighing quietly. "Cyberdramon is half Monodramon... half Millenniummon."

Ken's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it would be an issue..." the boy sighed, still looking at the window. "Cyberdramon has a lot of issues because of Millenniummon's blood in him... But it usually just makes him prone to flying off the handle and impairs his speech. I didn't think you'd react that way."

"You know there's just as much Millenniummon in me as there is in him!" Ken cried. "I had to work so hard to force him into dormancy inside me. Of course the two parts would react." The boy hissed and clutched his chest. "I'm sorry... It's not your fault..."

Ryo flinched slightly when Ken yelled. "I didn't think they would," he said, frowning and looking down. "I've been working with Cyberdramon for years to try and quell that part of him. Apparently nothing's changed..."

"Ryo..." Ken reached out a shaking hand to touch his friend's arm. "You've done an amazing job with Cyberdramon. You know you have. He's not evil and neither am I, but... Millenniummon is still inside of us... That will never change."

"That can't be it!" Ryo said, shaking his head almost violently. "If Millenniummon can get in to my partner, then I can get him out, too! It's just... going to take a bit more time..."

"Ryo, if you get Millenniummon out, it'll be the same as setting him free. You know you can't do that. Besides... Remember what Millenniummon said all those years ago? You two were meant to be partners. Things are finally the way they're supposed to be." Ken offered a weak smile. "So Cyberdramon and I have a burden to carry. I'm sure we both know how important it is."

Ryo shook his head, looking down at the floor. "I should be the one with the burden, not you guys."

"You do have a burden," Ken said with a gentle laugh. "You have two Millenniummon to deal with now."

Ryo laughed at the joke, but it seemed hollow. "I suppose you're right."

Ken pulled Ryo down, tucking the older boy's head against his neck. "We all have our destinies and our trials, Ryo. Sometimes we may experience them differently than how we imagined, but they are our responsibilities nonetheless. I can't imagine wandering this world for eight years. Mostly alone."

Ryo shook his head slightly. "What you had to endure was worse. Besides, I had to stay here. For the safety of everyone in the real worlds. You and Monodramon... shouldn't have had to go through what you did."

"But we never did it alone," Ken insisted.

"Me being alone keeps others safe," Ryo argued. "That's leagues more important."

Ken shook his head. "Being alone is what lets the darkness fester inside of you. After Osamu died and my parents withdrew from me, that's when Millenniummon got the chance to grow stronger."

"Ken, please. I have my reasons," Ryo said, shaking his head. "There's a reason why Cyberdramon and I need to be away from others." He stood up then. "Get some sleep. I'm going to figure out another way for us to travel, and we'll start for File Island tomorrow morning."

"No!" Ken grabbed Ryo's wrist. "Please, stay with me. I-I can ride Stingmon. Travel will be easy. Just please..."

"Are you sure Stingmon will be able to maintain his form all the way across Net Ocean?" Ryo asked without turning around. "Cyberdramon almost never devolves. Will you really be safe riding Stingmon if something attacks?"

"I... I don't know," the boy confessed.

"That's something I can't risk, Ken," Ryo said. "So I need to think of a different way for us to travel across the ocean, since you can't ride Cyberdramon. I... need time to think, okay?" Ken held on for a few minutes longer, but finally, he let Ryo's hand slip silently from his own.

Ryo only nodded his thanks, before he vanished into one of the two rooms in the back of the cabin. Wormmon approached his boy, antenna dragging on the wooden floor. "Ken..." he warbled. "Ken, are you going to be alright?"

"That depends on what you mean," Ken replied, eyes watching after Ryo. Wormmon wanted to say something more, but he couldn't find the right words. Ken was obviously hurting deeply. Wormmon simply curled up next to his boy, cuddling him supportively as the fire began to die before them. Ken looked down at his Digimon and began to pet down the ridges of his back. "I... I'm sure I'll be fine, Wormmon. Don't worry. I'll be okay."

"If you say so, Ken," Wormmon said quietly, as he set his head down on the pillows. "And... be paitent with Ryo, Ken," the little Digimon added gently.

He tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean, Wormmon?"

"Ken... you act like you expect everything to fall back into place again," Wormmon explained quietly. "But it's just not going to. Ryo hasn't seen you since you were eight years old... you've changed a lot since then, Ken. Plus, he hasn't had human contact for four years. But you're acting like he should know when he's being inconsiderate towards you... when he probably doesn't even notice it."

"Oh..." Ken lowered his head, laying it right beside Wormmon's. "I didn't even realize... He must think I'm so selfish. I am selfish... Aren't I?"

"No, Ken, you just didn't think of it." Wormmon smiled slightly with his eyes. "I just think you need to be careful with him... he's been through a lot."

The boy nodded. "Maybe I should keep my distance for a while. He's afraid to be close to people. I should respect that, right?"

"Well... he shouldn't be distant from people, but... maybe at first." Wormmon laughed slightly, looking sort of embarrassed. "You come on a little strong sometimes, Ken."

Ken blushed brightly. "I don't know what came over me back there..."

"You're lonely just like him, Ken," Wormmon said quietly. "He's just not as ready for it as you are."

"I'm not so sure I'm ready for it either," Ken said. He smiled a little and nuzzled his cheek with Wormmon's. "What would I do without you?"

Wormmon laughed gently, nuzzling back before curling up into a little ball. "I ask myself the same question about met to you every day, Ken," he murmured, before closing his eyes to drift off to sleep. Ken just smiled warmly before closing his own eyes and letting the sleep he'd been missing out on the past few nights take him.

Ken was awoken the next morning to the sound of hot water whistling. Ryo, dressed in pajamas that consisted of a pair of sweatpants, was shaking Ken and Wormmon's sides to wake them up. "C'mon guys, breakfast," he prompted, before getting up to place the plates of strangely colored Digital World fruit on the table.

Ken mumbled softly, rolling around a little before actually sitting up. He rubbed his eyes sleepily before looking at the food on the table. "Oh." The boy made a point of changing into a pair of his dry socks before going to sit at the table beside Wormmon, who had scurried over there first chance he got. "It looks good."

"Have you ever eaten Digital World food, Ken?" Ryo asked as he handed over a carved fork to the other boy, and speared a cube of a teal-colored fruit with his own. "I know that with the Digital Gates, you guys were able to go back home to eat, right?"

"Well, at first I did, yes." Ken ate a few pieces of his own fruit. "While I... well... While I was the Kaiser I ran away to the Digital World for good. I had to resort to eating food native to this world at that point. Of course, after I was set free from that personality, I went back to eating food from home since I, well, went back."

Ryo nodded. "That makes sense," he said. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Ryo got up and got the hot water. Wormmon watched the boy, breathing outward quietly. Ryo's exposed torso was covered in long claw marks and bite marks that had long since scarred over, and it made the little Digimon sad to see. When Ryo returned, he placed down tea for himself and Ken again before going back to his food. "I found a local Digimon named Vikemon who's willing to take us across Net Ocean," he added.

Ken nodded. "I see... That's kind of him." The scars hadn't gone unnoticed by Ken, either. He'd felt his chest clench slightly when he saw them. He would try not to stare when Ryo was right there, but when he'd gone to get the tea, Ken's eyes really took them in. Slender fingers touched the scar on the back of his own neck. It was kept well covered by his hair and only bothered him during electrical storms or if sunspots flared up, oddly enough. He had to wonder... "Sorry, but... Do those hurt?"

"Hm?" Ryo asked, looking up. Following Ken's gaze, he realized what he was talking about. "Oh! Oh... no, not anymore," he said gently. One of his arms was completely clear of scarring, but the other one, which he reached across the table to show Ken, was covered in huge teeth marks. "They healed over a while ago, see?"

Indigo eyes stared at the scars and his face paled slightly. "Oh my God... They're so deep..."

"Yeah... Cyberdramon bites hard," Ryo murmured, pulling his hand back and dipping his pinky into some of the marks.

Ken gasped. "Cyberdramon bit you?"

"I told you yesterday, Ken. Being part Millenniummon has made him primal and violent. He doesn't bite me anymore, mind... These are mostly from when I first got him. In the beginning he was really wild. And he'd bite me when I tried to train him. He attacked me a few times," he explained, touching the claw marks on his chest. "He doesn't do it anymore, he's gotten a lot better with that. But... this is what remains of what he was."

His hands had come over his mouth. "I... I didn't... I thought wild Digimon did that..."

"Well, here and there," Ryo said, touching a few smaller marks that didn't match the ones Cyberdramon had made. "But... because of the way Cyberdramon and I fight together, I never really got hurt by wild Digimon."

Looking at all the scars caused an image to flash in Ken's mind. A memory he tried to keep buried deep down and away. "Ryo... Do you think dead people get scars?"

"Dead people?" Ryo asked, looking up surprisedly. "I don't... think so, Ken. Your body can't make scars after you're dead... why?"

"What about... What about the wounds you get when you died? Do they scar or... No. There's no way they can heal, can they? They must scar..."

"They can't heal or scar," Ryo said with a frown.

Ken's eyes flew up to look straight into Ryo's. "What?"

"Once your body is dead... that sort of stuff just stops," Ryo said quietly. "If you lose blood, it can't heal your wounds. Why, Ken?"

"Osamu..." he breathed. "Osamu was hit by a car. His face... got all torn up from skidding across the pavement. His left arm was mangled from being dragged underneath him. Even... Even part of his foot came off with his shoe." Ken's face spoke only of horror now. "It was closed casket so I didn't get to see him at the funeral. I always thought... had hoped... he still looked like himself, but now... Oh God..."

"Ken..." Ryo's face fell at the realization. He hadn't known. "Anything that they could have done... was probably stitched up and fixed as best as they could. But the body just wouldn't have done it naturally, that's all..." He reached his hand across the table and laid it over Ken's. "Okay?"

Ken flinched just slightly at the contact, but only because he didn't even register that Ryo was reaching for him. "O-Okay," he replied with a nod.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Ryo added gently, before pulling his hand back.

"Thank you..." Ken looked back down at his plate and began to eat the fruit again. "I'm sorry if that was too much, though."

"It's okay, Ken. If you hadn't told me, I might have said something stupid later on," he said with a quiet chuckle that quickly died as he went back to eating his breakfast.

They were both silent again for a little while, just eating and drinking their tea. "So," Ken finally began, "does Vikemon require any payment?"

"No, he's happy to help," Ryo said, shaking his head. "His only condition is that we stop when he says he needs to stop, no arguments, so long as there's an island to rest at nearby."

Ken nodded. "Of course. I don't see any reason we wouldn't."

"He just likes to be very clear," Ryo said with a slight laugh. Once breakfast was done, Wormmon offered to clear everything away while Ryo went back into his room to change into his normal attire. He emerged ready to depart. "We're due to meet Vikemon soon. I'll go get Cyberdramon. Meet me out front when you're packed and ready."

"All right." Ken looked to see he didn't really have any packing to do at all. He picked up his socks from last night, which had been drying in front of the warm embers, and put them in his bag. Well, that was it then. Ken made sure Wormmon had the dishes all cleaned before carrying him outside. "We're ready!" he called out.

Cyberdramon and Ryo were waiting outside the door. As they started their trek, which led them away from Time Village, Cyberdramon kept his distance from Ken. Ryo led the way with Megadramon's DigiEgg in his arms, and kept Ken and Cyberdramon on either side of him. The trip was long, and the cold wind made all of them shiver, and it wasn't long before the wind started to pick up even more, causing goosebumps to break out over Ryo's mocha-colored skin. "We're almost by the water," he confirmed as he gave a shiver.

Ken nodded. "No kidding." He was starting to wish he'd brought a sweatshirt with him. One for Ryo as well. Ken did pull out some of his socks, though. Two were worn as mittens while another was pulled around Wormmon. Ken knew his little Digimon was cold-blooded, so cold places weren't easy for him.

"You cold?" Ryo asked, looking over at Ken concernedly as Wormmon wiggled cutely inside the sock.

"Oh, just a little chilly," Ken replied. He held up a free hand with the sock on in. "This actually helped," he added with a laugh. There was the sound of a zipper being undone as Ryo suddenly removed the black poncho-like garment from his hips. He then moved towards Ken and wrapped it around his waist, covering the bit of skin that was exposed at the bottom of the white sweater he wore. Ryo zipped it back up, smiled, and then moved to lead the group again. Ken was going to protest, insist that Ryo needed it just as much as he, but stopped. Wormmon's voice, like a conscience, actually snuck into his head. 'He's reaching out. Ryo is making contact, actually doing something to get closer to you. Something nice. Don't turn down his offer. Ryo wants to do this.' So Ken just smiled back at the older boy and nodded his thanks.

Ryo nodded back before turning around, towards their destination. It wasn't long before they reached the sea. The waves washed up on a frosbitten beach. Ryo looked each way before spotting someone approaching, and waved his hands to get the beast's attention. It was a huge, furry, white Digimon with sharp teeth, long arms, and a stocky build. He had all sorts of weapons strapped to him with leather belts and holsters. When he came close, he offered his huge hand, and Ryo shook one of the claws on his paw. "Thanks for doing this, Vikemon."

"I have business on File Island, anyway," Vikemon answered, a long, wolf-like tail whipping behind him. He began to wade into the water, readjusting the straps so none of his weapons would get wet. He wore a brown pelt on his back, and offered it as a warm and fluffy safehaven for his passengers in-between two huge spiked maces. Ryo hopped up onto Vikemon's back, helping Ken up, as Cybermon took flight above.

Ken looked surprised, but got onto Vikemon's back regardless. "Is he really going to swim the whole way? I thought maybe he'd have a boat."

"Vikemon is a Mega level Digimon, Ken," Ryo said, as he settled into the soft brown fur on the Digimon's back. "He can handle a day's worth of swimming. Probably more, but he'll stop when the sun starts to go down and we'll find an island for the night." Vikemon pushed off from the shore, and started to swim. "It'll be cold for a while, until we're far away from Directory," Ryo added. "So get comfortable."

"Oh!" The forward motion sent Ken back a little, and he grabbed around Ryo's waist on reflex. He blushed, knowing he probably shouldn't have done that, and let go a second later. Ken found his own place on the soft pelt and curled himself around Wormmon to keep the little Digimon warm. "Let me know if you want to go inside my bag, all right, Wormmon?"

Ryo coughed slightly as he sat down on the pelt. He pressed a few buttons on his armored arm, and the holographic, circular map from before projected into the air in front of him. He started to read it closely, as a red dot began to blink and spin, as if it was working as a compass. "I think I'll be alright, Ken. It's very warm on Vikemon's back," he said, offering his partner a reassuring expression. "Don't worry about me."

Ken nodded. He looked up and watched the device on Ryo's arm for a while before asking, "Where did you get that? Seems like it can do everything."

"It's a D-Arc... it's pretty much a Digivice from the other dimension," he explained. "When I lost Veemon, I lost my D-3... and Monodramon, my new partner, gave me this. The Tamers from the other dimension had these, too." He laughed gently, waving his arm a bit. "But theirs weren't built into their arms."

"Wait..." Ken frowned. "Can't you take it off?"

"Well, yeah, but the armor is put on in such a way that it's a chore. So I don't lose it. It takes a really long time to take off."

Ken sighed in relief. "I thought you were about to tell me it _was_ your arm or something."

"Ken, you saw me without it on this morning," Ryo said, laughing. They were starting to pick up speed, and the cold wind was blowing Ryo's hair back, making it even messier than it usually was. "This is the arm that Cyberdramon used to always bite when he was upset... so I made armor for it. I still wear it out of habit, and because I built my D-Arc into there a while ago."

"Well I could have sworn I saw you without it, but you never know what kind of tricks your mind can play on you," he insisted with a laugh of his own. "Armor certainly is a good idea. You could have used a bit more, though, I think." Ken felt his own long hair being tossled about, whipping against his face.

"Probably, but finding metals that work well for it was difficult," Ryo explained. "So I covered this arm with what I had, since it was the biggest target."

"At least you still have all your body parts. That's most important."

"Yeah," Ryo said, nodding his head and adjusting his clothing. "I'm thankful." He turned his eyes to the sea then, leaning back against the handle of the huge mace.

Indigo eyes observed the icy waters as well. "There are certain things - as, a spider, a ghost, the income-tax, gout, an umbrella for three - that I hate, but the thing that I hate most is a thing they call the Sea. Pour some salt water over the floor - ugly I'm sure you'll allow it to be: Suppose it extended a mile or more, that's very like the Sea. Beat a dog till it howls outright - cruel, but all very well for a spree: Suppose that he did so day and night, that would be like the Sea. I had a vision of nursery-maids; tens of thousands passed by me - all leading children with wooden spades, and this was by the Sea. Who invented those spades of wood? Who was it cut them out of the tree? None, I think, but an idiot could - or one that loved the Sea..."

Wormmon rolled over onto his back, getting comfortable in Ken's lap as he listened to his voice. Ryo flicked his blue eyes over towards the boy as he listened. The wind was blowing Ken's hair away from his face and making it stream behind him. It became even more apparent to Ryo then how long it had gotten. "Did you memorize that?" he asked when Ken had stopped.

Ken nodded. "It became one of my favorites when I found it. Maybe even my absolute favorite. The English author Lewis Carroll wrote it. There's more, but I didn't want to bore you."

"No, go ahead," Ryo said, smiling slightly. "I haven't had a chance to read at all in a long time."

Ken smiled a little as well. "It is pleasant and dreamy, no doubt, to float with 'thoughts as boundless, and souls as free': But, suppose you are very unwell in the boat, how do you like the Sea? There is an insect that people avoid (whence is derived the verb 'to flee'). Where have you been by it most annoyed? In lodgings by the Sea. If you like your coffee with sand for dregs, a decided hint of salt in your tea, and a fishy taste in the very eggs - by all means choose the Sea. And if, with these dainties to drink and eat, you prefer not a vestige of grass or tree, and a chronic state of wet in your feet, then - I recommend the Sea. For I have friends who dwell by the coast - pleasant friends they are to me! It is when I am with them I wonder most that anyone likes the Sea. They take me a walk; though tired and stiff, to climb the heights I madly agree; and, after a tumble or so from the cliff, they kindly suggest the Sea. I try the rocks, and I think it cool that they laugh with such an excess of glee, as I heavily slip into every pool that skirts the cold cold Sea."

Ryo closed his eyes and leaned back against the wooden handle of the mace, listening to Ken's voice. He smiled, laying his arms at his side and just relaxing as he listened. The wind began to whistle loudly as Vikemon started to move faster again. Eventually, the boy opened his eyes, and waved his hand for Ken to come over to his side of the Digimon's back. "I can't hear you so well with all of this wind," he said.

Ken looked surprised. He glanced down at Wormmon who gave him a little nod. So Ken crawled over, taking his Digimon with him. He sat beside Ryo, legs crossed, and faced the other boy. "As if the Sea should part and show a further Sea - and that - a further - and the Three but a presumption be - Of Periods of Seas - Unvisited of Seas - Unvisited of Shores - Themselves the Verge of Seas to be - Eternity - is Those... Emily Dickinson."

"You've got a lot of literature memorized, huh?" Ryo asked, eyes closed again. Cyberdramon had come down from the sky, tired of flying, and perched himself on top of the mace's handle, looking over his tamer. "I never realized you were so book smart."

The pale boy laughed slightly. "I don't think I would be if things had turned out differently."

"When you were little, you were more into video games," Ryo said with a small laugh of his own. "Video games... and the Digital World. When you saw those other kids fight Diaboromon, you got all pumped." He opened one of his eyes to look at Ken. "Remember? I was on a trip in Europe, but as soon as I saw the fight, I sent you an e-mail. And you sent me one too, telling me to come back."

Ken nodded. "I wanted you to see it, too. I didn't know it was viewing world-wide. Also... I sorta just missed you." Ken sighed and leaned his cheek in one hand. "Video games and I aren't really friends anymore. I programmed one once, but I'm not good at actually playing them anymore."

"You programmed one?" Ryo asked surprisedly, leaning in towards Ken. "Really? That's great! What else have you done since I saw you last, Ken?"

He shrugged bashfully. "Oh, you know, nothing special. Issued world peace, solved world hunger, and cured cancer," he teased.

Ryo knitted his eyebrows together, not sure if Ken was being serious. "H-he's kidding," Wormmon said, waving his claws, making Ryo smile.

"Oh, I see." Cyberdramon suddenly decended from the wooden handle of the mace, coming to land on the pelt next to Ryo. He kept on the boy's opposite side, seemingly in hopes of not aggravating Ken. He then proceeded to curl up in the brown fur, and his head even lay in the brunet's lap.

Ken was surprised by the tame and gentle gesture acted out by the dragon Digimon. From Ryo's stories, and scars, he didn't think Cyberdramon could be so... passive. "Actually, I became something of a boy genius. I excelled at everything. I defeated a computer at chess. I was a fifth level black belt at one point, but I've long since lost those skills. I was the star player of the Tamachi Soccer team. I actually, well... I broke the record for scoring the most goals in a league season with fourty-five goals. What else..." Ken thought briefly for a moment. "I won a National Computer Programming Contest with a machine that brushes people's teeth for them. I balanced the world's largest checkbook. I was offered a position at multiple colleges in the States. There was the video game. Um..."

Wow," Ryo gasped, eyes wide with wonder. He never would have guessed. His hand had started to stroke the armor on Cyberdramon's head, and though the Digimon growled, Ryo seemed to just ignore it. Almost like the violent snarling and the bared fangs was Cyberdramon's way of purring. "You sure did accomplish a lot when I was away, Ken..."

The boy shook his head. "I don't think I can really take credit for any of it, to be honest."

"What do you mean by that?" Ryo asked, tilting his head.

"Well... I think more of that was Millenniummon than me," Ken explained. "I can't do half those things now. I don't know judo, I trip over myself on the soccer field, I can't repair an RC car let alone build one... Literature is about the only place I shine anymore. Not that I'm ashamed, but... Sometimes I think other people are disappointed that my genius faded away."

Ryo frowned gently, leaning back against the wood as he continued to stroke Cyberdramon's head. "I guess that makes sense," he murmured. "Cyberdramon got a lot stronger once Millenniummon was inside of him. Even though you just got a small piece... it still affected you." He smiled slightly, shrugging his shoulders. "I think it's better than you can be yourself, though."

Ken smiled and blushed slightly. "Thank you, Ryo." Ryo nodded his head, before tilting it back and closing his eyes, to just relax and pet his Digimon's head as he felt the cold air blow back his hair. Meanwhile, on Ken's lap, Wormmon tried to encourage his boy by lifting up his antenna and giving his parter two claws up.

Ken saw the encouraging gesture and smiled, but it fell away a little when he realized he didn't know what to say now. Should he just let it remain quiet? Silence was so akward. Well... Usually it was nice, but he didn't like it right now. Ryo had said he liked listening to Ken talk. He enjoyed Ken's recitations. Maybe... Maybe he could do another? It was better than mindless prattling. Hopefully. "No love deserves the death it has. An archipelago Rocks cropping out of the ocean. Seabirds shit on it. Live out their lives on it. What was once a mountain. Or was it once a mountain? Did Lemuria, Atlantis, Mu ever exist except in the minds of old men fevered by the distances and the rocks they saw? Was it true? Can the ocean of time claim to own us now adrift Over that land. In that land. If memory serves There (that rock out there) Is more to it..." Ryo smiled, listening silently to Ken speak. After a long while had gone by, Ryo's head fell to the side, resting on Ken's shoulder. Cyberdramon's growls died down as well, and it seemed the two of them had fallen asleep while listening to Ken.


	3. Dimensional Differences

Again Ken looked surprised. He hadn't expected this either. Not that he minded at all. Ryo wind tossled hair tickled his neck and behind his ear, making the boy smile and giggle softly now and then. He noticed that Wormmon had also fallen asleep. Being the only one awake didn't really feel all that lonely, though. Like it used to. Ken had a warm body next to him. Touching him. Ken wondered briefly if Ryo got much sleep. Sure there probably wasn't much danger to fight with every day, but did training Cyberdramon involve a rigorous routine day in and day out? He couldn't imagine having to be like that with Wormmon or even Stingmon. Soon the sun began to set over the sea. The interesting thing about the Digital World at sunset was how much like a computer shutting down for the night it was. The sun sent out a gentle pulse from its place on the horizon; a pulse that rippled across the sky revealing a make of lines looking like the inside of a motherboard. Behind them the sky was dark, like Ken's hair, but ahead of them was a brilliant red and gold where the sky kissed the sea. Loquid tangerine gradually bled into pink with periwinkle shadowed clouds. Reflected in the dark blue, nearly black water was a speckling of gold from the sun, cast by the ripples out in the distance. "Ryo..." Ken breathed and shook the other boy's shoulder. "Ryo, look..."

Ryo groaned slightly, lifting his hands to rub his eyes. "What is it, Ken?" he asked, turning to look. His eyes fell upon the digital sunset. He was quiet for a moment, but then laid back against the other boy, smiling again. "It's amazing, isn't it?" he murmured. "I've gotten to see this every day I've lived here... it's beautiful."

"I... I never got to see it on the ocean before," Ken said. "I only ever saw one ocean, and the sun never shone there." The fading pink and pale yellow light was reflected on Ken's face, make the curves of his features glow. Some of the tangerine color even shone in the highlights of his long hair. "I don't want to see it fade away..."

"Unfortunately..." Ryo murmured, his shoulders slumping back a bit. "All beautiful things leave eventually."

Ken paused. He glanced down at Ryo, and looked back at the sunset again. "I don't think... Anything is as beautiful as this."

"There are some things," Ryo said quietly, managing a small smile. "I'll make sure to show them to you sometime."

His heart fluttered at the tone in Ryo's voice. "I'd like that..."

"Mm." Ryo leaned his head back again, looking up at Ken. The boy's face was all aglow from the slowly dying light. "The Digital World... can show you a lot of beautiful things. If you're just paitent and let it show those things to you when it's ready."

"The Digital World is... both intriguing and a little annoying that way," Ken replied. He felt Ryo's eyes on him and looked down. Mocha skin was accented with the gold just about to vanish below the horizon, and it made those blue eyes stand out even more. Ken breathed in. "Ryo, I..." But he stopped. Ken held his tongue. He wasn't going to rush. He'd swore to it. Ryo needed his distance, his time. So Ken just let the breath escape and looked back up just in time for the sun to drop and world be plunged into blue and black.

Ryo let out a contented hum as he let his eyes flick back to the horizon, watching as stars began to emerge and dot the skies, edited and strange cousins of real world constellations. "It's been a long time since I went on a journey with someone beside me," he said quietly. "Thank you for coming back, Ken..."

"I always knew I would come back for you, Ryo. I was hoping it would have been sooner, but... You're welcome." Ryo kept his smile as he once again drifted off to sleep. It just felt so natural, so warm, to fall asleep with others surrounding him, despite the cold wind that blew over them. So many years he'd spent alone in a freezing bed, curled up with self-sewn blankets and pillows. Without those things, out in the open, but with friends as his walls, the boy finally felt so at peace that nothing more could wake him until morning.

Ken spent the next day recanting stories of him and the Chosen Children on their adventures, as did Ryo. It eventaully turned into a trade of sorts. Well Ken had one big grand adventure to speak of, he could easily split it into parts in turn for one of Ryo's own grand tales. Vikemon stood tired and had to break on a small island. Ken wasn't sure much of anything lived on it, seeing as how small it was. Vikemon swam his way up to shore and let the boys off his back. Ken was relieved to find it warm enough to take Wormmon out of the sock, along with his hands, and give Ryo his black poncho back. Ryo took back the garment and zipped it around his hips. "Where are we..." he murmured, as he tapped his D-Arc, bringing up his map-like screen. It spun a few times as Ryo read it, frowning slightly. "Well, it looks like we're a quarter of the way there. So at this pace, we'll get to File Island in four days." He closed the map, looking around at the island as Vikemon came up behind them.

"If you guys find a cave or tree to stay for the night, I'll sleep in front of it and keep people out," he offered, too tired to stand guard but unafraid of being attacked in his sleep thanks to his massive and intimidating size.

"That sounds great, Vikemon," Ryo said, nodding his head. He waved for the group to follow him as he bravely started to hike up towards the center of the island.

Ken allowed Cyberdramon to pass him before following. He would rather let the dragon have the boy's company than put himself between them. "Keep an eye out for a good shelter," he said to Wormmon as he placed him on his head.

"Got it!" Wormmon said, holding up a claw to shield his eyes as he looked off into the distance. Unsurprisingly, it was Ryo that first spotted a place for them to rest. It was a large tree, but the top branches had formed into a sturdy canopy, almost like the curved floor of a treehouse. It looked like a small orb of vines had grown in the center of the tree, sheilding the insides from being seen.

"How about there?" he asked the group.

"Are you sure we can climb that high?" Ken asked a little worriedly.

"I can," Ryo said, before looking over at the boy with a bit of a worried expression. "Would you rather look for somewhere else?"

"N-No..." Ken shook his head. "I'd hate for us to waste all that time and not find another place. I'm sure I can manage."

"Only if you're sure," Ryo said, before he turned and started to clim the tree. Cyberdramon took off to perch on one of the strong upper branches. Ryo grabbed the vines and used them to hoist himself up, climbing quickly, as if it was completely natural. He'd soon crawled into the cradle of vines and turned around to offer a hand for Ken to grab when he got high enough.

Wormmon was taken from Ken's head and set on the bark of the tree. "Go ahead, Wormmon," he urged with a gentle nudge. "Climbing a verticle line is cake for you," he said with a smile. Wormmon nodded, and started to shimmy up the bark of the tree, having no trouble getting to the top and squeezing in-between the vines. Vikemon had already curled up around the trunk of the tree, stretching his paws quite close to Ken as he got comfortable. Ken watched his Digimon practically fly up the side of the tree. Looked like he was the only one left now. To be honest, he would have rather slept on Vikemon's back again, but he didn't want to look like a coward in front of Ryo. So Ken wrapped his arms around the tree as best he could and tried to make his way up. The boy had made it a few feet before somehow losing his grip and falling all the way back to the ground with a yelp and a thud. He looked up to see Ryo's concerned eyes and he only felt worse. Ken grabbed the tree once more and began the effort again. He made it closer this time, almost to the vines, but his arms were burning, hands cramped, and legs aching. Ken tried to reach but he felt his hand slip and brought the other back down to cling with. "I d-don't think I can do it..." Ryo grabbed a vine and jumped out, so that he was hanging beside Ken. With his free arm, he grabbed the boy around the waist. He then swung until he managed to latch his feet into two looping vines, and with one arm and both feet scratching against the bark of the tree, he managed to pull them both up into the cradle-like structure. He let Ken up first before pulling himself back in. Crawling toward the heart of the cradle, Ken drew his shaking arms into his lap. He looked up at Ryo, breathing heavily, and managed a lopsided smile. "Th-Thanks..."

"No problem," Ryo said with his own grin. He was flushed with the effort of pulling Ken's whole body up into the canopy, but he didn't seem overextered at all. "Sorry I asked you to climb that... I should have asked if you wanted a boost in the first place," he said, as he came to sit next to Ken.

Ken shook his head. "I honestly thought I could do it. It's not your fault." Though his hands were a little raw, Ken still used them to open his small shoulder bag and reach inside. "I have water," he said, pulling out the bottle. The boy laughed. "You know what they say about the ocean. Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. We should hydrate a little."

"Good idea," Ryo said with a nod. First, he grabbed the DigiEgg, which he had brought up with him on his first climb, and brought it into his lap. He unzippered his poncho, rewrapped it so the egg was tucked under it, and then zippered it again. He then accepted the water from Ken. "Thanks," he said, as he started to drink. He didn't take very much before he was sated, however, and offered it back.

Ken took the bottle back and drank from it, swallowing down a bit more than Ryo. Next he poured some into the cap to give to Wormmon. Of course, not wanting to be rude, Ken glanced a bit nervously up at Cyberdramon. "D-Do you want some?" he asked and held out the water bottle.

Cyberdramon looked down through the branches. He looked critcally at Ken for a moment, before his tail suddenly swooped down and scooped up the bottle. There was the sound of crunching plastic and a few drops of water rained down through the branches as Cyberdramon tore the bottle apart and sucked it dry. Ryo watched this with his hands resting on the DigiEgg he held under his poncho, laughing quietly. "He was thirsty."

"I'll say..." Ken cringed at the sound and knew exactly what had happened. "Guess I won't be refilling that."

"You're better off letting Cyberdramon and I wait for a river than sharing with us," Ryo said with a laugh as he leaned back against the vines comfortably. "He tends to do that. He probably is thankful, though."

"But it would be rude to eat and drink in front of you," Ken insisted. "Oh, that reminds me." He dug through the bag again. While he'd packed six of the fruit bars, he thought it best to try making them last. Ken brought out one, opened it, and broke the snack into four pieces, handing them out accordingly. "I'm sure this is something you'll remember," he said, giving Ryo a slightly bigger piece.

"You don't have to, Ken..." Ryo said, accepting the piece but frowing slightly. "I barely ever eat, you don't need to share your food with me."

"I want to," Ken said firmly, yet with a smile. "It's why I brought the food along in the first place. Now eat, mister."

Ryo opened his mouth to argue again, but laughed and shook his head before popping the piece of the fruit bar into his mouth. "Alright, this time... but seriously, you don't need to share your food with me. I've lasted just fine without it."

"Well then just think of it as a gift from the real world, then." Ken smiled even more. "Rare delicacy from far away lands full of mystery and intrigue."

Ryo laughed again, having to close his eyes against it this time. "Oh yes, the rare delicacy of the fruit bar..." he sighed, grinning. "Such a long time it as been since I've been able to partake in anything from the most fanciful corner stores."

"I'd have brought chocolate, but I much prefer fruit flavors," he explained. The night was quiet around them. Ken had forgotten that crickets didn't sing to the stars in the Digital World. After a while though, he started to grow hot. Was it him? Or maybe the air trapped in the cradle of vines was heating up now with them inside it, breathing and talking. "Oh man," he gasped. Ken pulled the white sweater off, unable to stand it much more. Beads of sweat showed on his pale skin. Ken's body was as slender as ever, his frame more feminine than anything else. Tender shoulders dropped down at a slight angle, his chest sloped down inward toward a thin torso, and his soft stomach showed the littest of shape that curved between his pelvis. Milky skin accented by two pushing bones disappeared beneath form fitting denim, hiding the rest of what Ken had to offer.

"It's getting warm, huh?" Ryo asked, as he untied his neckerchief and stuffed it into the pocket of the poncho before unzipping the poncho and wrapping the egg up in it safely, placing it at his side. "Vikemon must have taken us south, away from the cold wind. This island is nearly tropical," he murmured, as he detatched his shoulder armor and placed it aside. He glanced over at Ken, and blue eyes did a quick double take. Ken was so thin... Ryo hadn't noticed with the sweater Ken had had on. He also took even more note of how pale the boy was. He felt something tug at his insides, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. Maybe concern? No, it didn't feel quite right. "Are you going to be okay sleeping up here, Ken?"

Ken looked over. "Hm? Oh! Oh, yeah, I'll be fine," he answered with a nod. "That shirt is just really meant for colder weather. I brought another one with me, though. I'll change in the morning. I just had to get out of that sweater."

"I hear ya," Ryo said, nodding his head. "I'd like to get out of this one for a bit, but..." He sighed as he lifted up his arm, touching the armor that was clamped around it. Oh well. He reached into the pockets of his pants and pulled out a switchblade, which he slid open before carefully inserting it into a slot of the armor, starting to dutifully work on it.

Ken watched Ryo work. His scarred and callused hands worked diligently, yet roughly. There was a big difference between force and finesse. Ken knew Ryo had been going this longer, but still... "Let me try," he finally offered. Midnight colored hair that had grown down past his shoulders was pulled back and tied off with a band from his pocket. Ken moved close to Ryo's side and took the knife from him. "You jerk your hand too much." Leaning over his work, Ken's eyes fell shut. He invisioned the inside of the armor as he felt the blade slid against this and that. Okay, so maybe he still had some skills. In almost no time at all, slender hands had swiftly taken the armor apart piece by piece, setting the scarred arm free.

"Huh," Ryo hummed, stretching out his arm and bending it now that it was free from the armor. "Guess you're right," he laughed. He took the hem of his torn shirt and took it off, checking his body for damage. He seemed to have knicked his arm a little bit and was bleeding slightly, but he just rubbed the blood away every time it welled up and didn't pay it much more mind than that. Unlike Ken's slim body, Ryo was much more built. He had muscles not like a bodybuilder, but more conserved ones that housed power that wasn't purely aesthetic. He had bruises and scars all over mocha colored skin, but it didn't seem to bother him at all.

Slender fingers reached out and ghosted over a bruise on Ryo's chest. "A hero's story isn't all about fame and glory, is it?" he said, already knowing the answer, but feeling compelled to ask.

"Yeah," Ryo said, shrugging his shoulders as he touched the bruise slightly. He flinched when he pressed in on the darkened skin and pulled his hand back. "I'd prefer it not be about either of those things anyway... I'd just like to live in peace. I feel like because everyone knows who I am, I'm always putting the innocent Digimon that extend their kindness to me in danger."

"You know that's not true, though," Ken tried to insist. "Being a victim of cirsumstance doesn't make it your fault."

"A lot of villages get attacked just because I'm staying in them," Ryo sighed. "That's why I usually just stay in trees or caves."

Ken smiled slightly. "Or maybe, secretly, you're just a big attention seeker," he teased, trying to lift the mood.

"Even if I was, that's the sort of attention I'd rather not get," Ryo said, smiling weakly.

"Well, either way, Wormmon and I are here now to help you fight if that happens," Ken said reassuringly.

"I'm glad," Ryo said, nodding his head. "Hopefully, if we work together, we'll be able to keep a lot more innocent Digimon safe."

Ken beamed now. "Of course we will! I mean, considering what we accomplished together back then, think of what we could do now!"

"Now that we're not seperated on opposite sides of the world," Ryo laughed, putting his hands behind his head. "So, I only got to see Wormmon's Champion form. Can you tell me about his others?"

The boy shrugged. "Well, to be honest... Stingmon is as far as we've gotten. At least when it comes to evolving on his own."

Ryo looked confusedly over at the boy. "Not even any Armor stages?" he asked, scratching his chin. "Well, that's odd..."

Ken nodded. "Stingmon can only DNA Digivolve with ExVeemon."

"With... ExVeemon?" Ryo asked, looking over at the boy. He was quiet for a moment, licking his lips as he debated if he should ask the next question that rose to his lips. "That's not... my Veemon, is it?"

Ken reflected the quiet contemplation back at Ryo before answering. "It is, actually... Yes."

"I thought so," Ryo said quietly, crossing his arms. He seemed to think for a long while before looking over at the other boy again. "So, tell me about Daisuke."

"Daisuke?" Ken seemed a little nervous, and even embarrassed to talk about the other boy. "He bears the Digimentals of Courage and Friendship."

"Mhm, I know that," Ryo said, shaking his head slightly. "I mean, about him. His personality." He smiled slightly, leaning back against the vines. "I want to make sure he's taking proper care of Veemon."

Ken sighed and stared down into his lap. "Daisuke is... a wonderful person," he began. "He's very strong, in both body and spirit. Admittedly he isn't always the smartest, but he makes up for that in so many ways. Daisuke cares deeply for everyone. Especially his friends. Daisuke is the kind of person who will drop every thing in a heartbeat to help someone in need. He's a brave leader and a comforting shoulder to cry on. Daisuke has the heart of a child. He loves to laugh and have fun all the time." Ken laughed. "He asks a lot of questions. Sometimes it can be annoying, but I often find in endearing. Daisuke... Daisuke is everything you would expect him to be with a few extra surprises."

Ryo listened to this with a pensive look on his face. Frowning slightly, arms crossed, eyes obviously deeply considering everything that Ken said. He tapped his foot for a moment once Ken had finished, and then finally cracked a small smile. "I like the sound of him," he said quietly, nodding his head. "He seems like the kind of person Veemon would be happy with. I'm glad."

"Veemon... loves him."

Ryo fell quiet again, the thoughtful look coming back to his face. "Yeah?" he asked, perhaps simply to fill the silence that reigned between them as he thought. "Well... that's good, then. He should love his partner."

"Ryo, I want to ask you..." Ken said a bit hesitantly. "I only want to be honest. I don't mean anything by it, but... Have you ever been in love with someone? I know you've been stuck here a long time, but you're older than me by, well, a bit. I thought maybe you'd experienced it once or twice."

Ryo shrugged his shoulders slightly, looking down at his feet. "I liked someone once. But that was a long time ago... she's probably moved on without me. And since coming here, I haven't seen any other humans, so... No, I guess not."

Ken glanced over at the older boy. "May I ask who she was?"

"She was one of the Tamers from the other real world... her name was Rika," Ryo explained. "She was a real ice queen... Always picking fights with me." He laughed gently, running a hand through his hair. "She started to warm up eventually, but she was still a real wild card."

"What... What did you like about her?"

"I liked how fiercely independant she was, you know?" Ryo said. "She didn't need to lean on people, even though she did accept help from her friends once in a while. She didn't whine about her situation, she always went out to make it better by her own hand." He pondered for a moment, leaning his head back to look up at the night sky through the tangle of branches and vines above them. "Well, all that, and she also had a gorgeous singing voice."

"Independent?" Ken echoed. Everything he wasn't. "She sounds... really great, Ryo. I'm sorry you couldn't be with her."

"It just wasn't meant to be," Ryo sighed. "I couldn't ask here to come to the Digital World with me while I trained Cyberdramon. She has a family back in that world and a life." He laughed weakly, trying to cheer himself up. "And if you thought a long distance relationship over an ocean is impossible, try if it's between two dimensions."

"Maybe you'll meet her again someday," Ken said, trying to be encouraging, even though his own heart was breaking on the inside. The more Ryo talked about it, the less Ken felt like he had a chance. Ryo liked girls and there was no changing that.

"I hope so," Ryo murmured. "I hope I get to see all of them again, actually. But..." He looked up at the branch where Cyberdramon was sleeping. "I promised I'd never go back there until Cyberdramon is tame."

Ken nodded. "I haven't seen him in action too much, but if I had to guess, I'd say you're pretty close to that."

Ryo sighed quietly, shaking his head. "No, I don't think I am. He still gets all hyped up after longer fights and goes off looking for more enemies, even when there are none around. The only reason Megadramon didn't make him do that was because the fight was so short... And he still bites me from time to time. Not as much as he used to, but..." Ryo cast a glance at Wormmon. "I'm not going to bring him back to the real world until he's just like any other partner Digimon. I know his personality just isn't social, and that's fine with me, but... if his tendancies could put any of the other kids in trouble, I'd rather just not see them than take that chance..."

"Is he that uncontrolable as a Rookie?" Ken asked. "Or even as a Baby or In-Training?"

"Well, no... he's actually really nice as a Rookie, and all the stages before that, too... But he only stays in his Rookie stage in the real world. As soon as he gets to Champion or Ultimate, he goes wild again."

Ken frowned. "But... Digmon can only be in-training in the real world," he said.

"In your real world," Ryo said. "In the one I was in, they mostly retained their Rookie forms. They were hard to hide," he added with a small laugh.

"Oh... I see." He glanced down. "I guess that makes things a little harder."

"And... sometimes, even that wasn't always the case. Hirokazu's Digimon was always in his Champion form, and Kenta's Digimon was always in his Mega form."

Indigo eyes went wide. "His Mega form? That's impossible!"

"Oh, it's possible," Ryo said with a laugh. "Luckily for him, his Digimon's Mega form is small enough to fit inside his pocket at all times. He has no problems concealing him."

"A Mega that's small enough to be a Baby?" Ken laughed. "Now I know you're making all of this up."

"No, it's true!" Ryo insisted. "His name is MarineAngemon. He's this little pink Digimon with wings and a gold ring around his neck. And he doesn't talk, he just makes little noises. He and Kenta became partners because MarineAngemon snuck into his pocket while he was in the Digital World!"

Ken was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes. "You... You can't be serious! His pocket? No! No!" he said through fits of giggles.

"No, really! Look, I'll show him to you!" Ryo suddenly grabbed up his removed armor and pressed a few buttons on his D-Arc, bringing up a picture of the Digimon that projected itself on the round screen. Like Ryo described, it was a little pink Digimon with big eyes and little pink wings. Beneath the picture was his name, his size, his weight, and a list of his special attacks. "MarineAngemon. Special attack, Ocean Love."

Ken wiped a tear from his cheek. "Ocean Love? Really? That's so cute."

"He shoots heart-shaped bubbles with that attack," Ryo laughed. "It's... well, I think Kenta was dissapointed at firs tthat his Digimon wasn't very manly. But MarineAngemon is still strong, even if he is cutesy, and they bonded pretty fast. Kenta can even understand him sometimes, even though he just speaks gibberish."

Ken was smiling fondly now. He rather liked the idea of this love spreading pink angel of a Digimon. "I think Rika could have used a partner like that."

"I think her partner was perfect for her," Ryo said, shaking his head. "Look." He pressed an arrow, and the screen scrolled onto a new Digimon. She was a tall, fox-like Digimon with yellow and white fur and a very serious expression. She also wore purple armwarmers with peace symbols on them. "Renamon. Special attack, Diamond Storm... she was very level-headed and wise."

"They look too similar," Ken observed aloud. "Well, I mean, from what you told me about Rika. Sure we have to get along with out partners, but don't we have to be different enough to learn something from them as well?" He glanced at the small sleeping green Digimon. "I don't know where I'd be without Wormmon. He's taught me so much about myself."

"Looks can be deceiving, Ken," Ryo said with a gentle laugh. "Rika and Renamon look very similar, but they both taught each other a lot. Renamon wanted to become strong, so she sought Rika out. Lots of Digimon did, actually. Demanding she be their Tamer. But I'm glad she picked Renamon... because Renamon taught her not to be so impulsive or easily aggravated. Renamon taught her paitence and modesty. And Rika..." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Rika taught Renamon to loosen up a little... by learning the lesson herself."

He found this interesting about the girl and her Digimon. There was a lesson to be learned there. However, Ken just found himself confused even more. "This other dimension... it very strange. Since when do Digimon choose their partners?"

"It's strange, I agree. Almost all of the Digimon picked their own partners, though. Like..." He scrolled to another image, of a stocky, machine-like Digimon. "This is Guardromon, he chose to be Hirokazu's partner after Hirokazu helped him recover from a fatal battle with Orochimon. And this..." He scrolled to another image, this one of a small brown and pink Digimon that looked something like a rabbit. "This is Lopmon. He decided to be the partner of one of the youngest Tamers, Suzie."

Ken tilted his head. "It looks like Terrierimon."

"Oh, you know Terriermon?" Ryo asked, scrolling to the next Digimon. Terriermon's familiar white face, long ears, and green markings appeared on screen. "He belonged to Henry, Suzie's older brother. Henry got him by, well..." He stopped himself. There was a bit of explaining to do. "Ken, in their universe, before they knew about Digimon... it was a cartoon series, a video game, and a card game."

Indigo eyes stared and blinked once. "Excuse me?"

"Digimon were created originally by a group of programmers who were attempting to create sentient digital life... and they eventually evolved like real organisms into the Digimon of today. One of the programmers on that team went on to make a TV series, a card game, and all sorts of toys and games based on Digimon. Henry got Terriermon by playing a computer game that featured him."

"Wait..." Ken shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That isn't where the Digital World came from, though. It... It's a byproduct of our world. Too much data was building up in cyberspace. There was a cybernetic chain reaction from the build up. You know this. Essentially there was a Digital Big Bang."

"That's where the world came from, yeah," Ryo said, nodding his head. "But do you know where the first Digimon came from to populate that world?"

"They're just more data," Ken said. "Animal data, human data, vehicle data... That's why we have insect, bird, and dog Digimon. Digimon that look like clocks and dinosaurs and trains. Wormmon... Wormmon is internet data about caterpillars given the spark of artificial intelligence."

"That's all very true. But the very first Digimon were formless. They were programmed like that. And then using that build up of data, they began to evolve and take shape and split off into all of the different species that are around today."

"But... But humans had nothing to do with that," Ken tried to insist.

"I'm telling you, Ken, that's what happened." Ryo scrolled over to a new Digimon on his D-Arc again. "See this Digimon?" It was a red dinosaur-like Digimon, with big golden eyes and black markings, some of which were known as 'Digital Hazard Symbols'. "He's a good example of a Digimon that came from humans... this boy I know named Takato created him. He made this Digimon up because he liked the television show and card game so much... and using a sketch of him and his card swiper, he brought Guilmon here to life."

Ken frowned and knocked the D-Arc to the floor. "That's not possible. Are you telling me that humans are the reason Digimon exist in the first place? Are you telling me that humans created the first Digimon from which others formed and followed?"

Ryo gasped and clambered to grab his armor and the D-Arc before they fell to the ground. "That's exactly what I'm telling you," Ryo insisted, looking over at Ken with a frown. "You don't believe me?" Ken was angry. Truly angry. And it showed on his face. His throat got tight like he was about to scream at Ryo, but he didn't. There was no sound, no words. His mouth didn't even open. Instead, Ken just crawled back through the vines and used them to drop back down out of the tree. Waking Vikemon when he landed was unintentional, but he didn't bother apologizing. Ken just stormed off, not even caring which way he went. "Ken!" Ryo called after the boy, scrambling to the edge of the canopy. His blue eyes were wide, unsure of why exactly the boy was mad. He sat back on his knees, scratching his head. "What did I do?"


	4. Justimon

Vikemon cracked an eye open as the boy stormed off. He watched for a few minutes, and then slowly ambled to his feet with a loud yawn. He began to stomp off, and it only took the huge Digimon a few big steps before he was behind Ken. "Something wrong?" he asked, dipping his head down and lowering his booming voice.

"Leave me alone," Ken hissed as he tried to pick up his pace and lose the giant Digimon.

Vikemon snorted. "I will if you honestly think it's worth getting killed in the middle of the night over a hissy fit."

"It's not a hissy fit!" Ken yelled. "You don't know what happened, so don't tell me how I'm acting or feeling! And quite frankly I don't care anymore if I die or not! Apparently nothing is worth it anymore."

Vikemon let out a long breath, the cold air he emitted from between his lips buffeting Ken's back. "Why do you say that?" he asked, trying to stay calm.

Ken stumbled forward from the sheer force of Vikemon's breathing. "Because I have no greater purpose given to me by a higher power," he said. "Everything I believed turned out to be a lie. My life..." Ken had slowed into a stop. He stared pensively at the ground, but then just shook his head angrily again. "Forget it. It doesn't matter!"

"It matters to you," Vikemon said. "That's enough."

"No! No, it doesn't matter anymore! That's the point!" Ken turned on his heels and pushed fruitlessly against Vikemon's ankle. "And I told you to leave me alone! Go away!"

Vikemon sighed again, shaking his head. "I guess if you won't talk, I can't force you," the huge Digimon said. He turned and began to lumber back towards the tree, deciding to leave the human alone.

Ken huffed after the Digimon, glad to see it go. The boy couldn't remember the last time he was this upset. This angry. Not since he was a child. Ken turned around again and walked off deeper into the forest, knowing he'd either find more trees or eventually reach the shore again. As Ken got deeper into the forest, it became darker, the moonlight blocked out by leaves. They began to rustle, something moving through them. The earth began to shake beneath the boy's feet, little pebbles jumping off the ground. Huge footsteps were making their way towards him, slow and lumbering like Vikemon's. Ken hissed through his teeth and clenched his fists. "I told you to leave me alone!" he practically screamed, having turned and expected to see Vikemon, but couldn't make out much of anything in the dark. Suddenly, the shiny barrels of three huge cannons appeared in front of Ken with a click. Standing in front of him was a huge Digimon that looked like a bear, with glowing yellow eyes, fangs, and dark purple fur. One of his hands was oversized with giant, hooked claws, and the other was a gun that was aimed at the boy. Ken's face turned a ghostly white. One of the barrels was big enough to take out the top half of his body, and there were three aimed at him. His heart was beating a mile a minute in his chest, almost threatening to burst out. Ken swallowed. "Wh-What do you want?" he asked.

"My name is Callismon. I protect this forest. And anyone who tresspasses in my forest will be killed," the Digimon growled, the second barrel making a clicking noise.

"I'm not even hurting anything," Ken said, his tone surprisingly brave in the face of, well... a giant-ass gun.

"Enjoy your last moments of bravado," the Digimon snarled. His huge nostrils flared, steam rising from them. His hand flexed, long hooked claws clicking against eachother. "It won't matter in a few moments."

"It certainly won't," Ken replied. "But it doesn't matter now either. Nothing really does. I know that now."

The boy's statement was enough to stop the huge Digimon from cocking the third cannon, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You sure are a strange one, human."

Ken turned his head up to see Callismon's face. "Why? Because I don't have faith in anything?"

"Yes... that and the fact that you wander strange forests without much clothing on."

"Without...?" Ken looked down and realized he'd left his sweater behind. "Oh... Oh great, but... You aren't wearing clothes either. What do you care?"

"Your human eyes may not be able to see in this light, but I am wearing a vest and pants made of the skins of my enemies," Callismon snorted.

"Oh, well... Maybe you can use me to patch a hole in your pants or something..."

"Gladly," Callismon growled, cocking the third barrel. "Rodeo Bullet!"

"Justice Kick!" Suddenly, another Digimon shot out of no where. A kick was delivered to Callismon's arm, so powerful that it sent the gun pointing straight upwards and fired his attack into the sky.

"What the hell?" Callismon roared, looking down to see a Digimon standing before him. He had an almost human look about him, though he stood a bit taller than the average human, and his muscular body was covered from head to toe in blue and white. He had a silver helmet covering his face, a one of his arms was covered in silver plating. Around his neck was a long red scarf that billowed out behind him when the wind picked up again.

"Why did you do that?" Ken shouted at the new Digimon. "I wanted him to attack me! Couldn't you see that? I'm ready to go! I... I'm not meant for anything. I thought I was, but... I just found out that it's all a waste. So let him finish me!"

The Digimon looked over his shoulder, but then simply turned back to Callismon. "Justice Burst!" The Digimon shouted. His armored arm morphed into a gun, and he shot a blue burst of energy from it, knocking Callismon back. "Justice Kick!" he kicked the Digimon again, forcing Callismon to stumble back even further.

"Deep Forest," Callismon growled. He slammed his claws into the ground, knocking the new Digimon over, and then aimed his gun at him. "Rodeo Bullet!" he roared, shooting straight at him. Ken clamped his hands over his ears. The firing of the gun sounded like thunder, deafening and rattling his bones.

The Digimon, which had seemed to be helpless on the ground, suddenly threw his armored arm in front of his face. "Voltage Blade!" The armor grew and the hand at the end suddenly morphed into a blade that was coursing with energy, and the Digimon deflected the bullets straight back into Callismon's gun, making the Digimon cry out in agony. The Digimon leapt to his feet, trying to aim a strike at Callismon's chest. He jumped for the attack, but was promptly smacked into the ground by Callismon's huge paw, slamming into a nearby tree before hitting the earth.

The impact caused the tree to crack. Many of the branches from high up snapped off and fell to the ground. Ken yelped as he tried to dodge them, covering his head and running around. He hissed when a broken branch scratched his side. "Callismon!" he shouted. With the large bear in his sights again, not like it was hard to miss, Ken began waving it down. He wasn't so sure this new Digimon could handle itself. "Over here! Remember me? Why don't you finish what you started?"

Callismon turned, aiming the gun at Ken again. The distraction was all the new Digimon needed. He jumped to his feet and ran at Callismon's back. "Voltage Blade!" He speared Callismon with the energy blade at the end of his arm, making the Digimon cry out in pain. Callismon suddenly glowed white and devolved into the much smaller Grizzmon. With wide eyes, he ran off into the dark forest, vanishing amoungst the trees. The other Digimon fell to the ground, stumbling over himself as he tried to land on his feet, but instead falling down onto one knee, breathing heavily.

Ken approached the armored Digimon. He stood before it, looking down and the helmet on its head. "Why did you do that?" he asked, bringing the question back.

The Digimon looked up. "You're a piece of work, Ken," he said. His voice sounded familiar, but was warped by its low pitch.

The boy flinched. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not going to be around to save to every time you decide it's a good idea to run off into unfamiliar territory, Ken," the Digimon said, getting to his feet. "We need to work together if this is going to work out."

"I don't even know you!"

"Can't you tell by my voice?" the Digimon retorted. He suddenly flinched, holding his side. The Digimon began to glow, and his body split apart into two seperate orbs of light. The first grew larger, and faded, revealing Cyberdramon beneath.

Ken gasped and took a step back. He stared at Cyberdramon before looking at the other light that had yet to take shape. "R-Ryo...?" The second orb of light grew smaller, and soon faded to reveal the tan boy beneath, battered and bruised from the fight. As soon as the light released him, his eyes slid shut and he fell forward, Cyberdramon catching him before he could hit the ground. "Wh-How?" Ken just looked between the boy and the Digimon. What the hell just happened? Why was Ryo hurt so badly? Ken reached to touch the dark skinned boy, but a deep and threatening growl from Cyberdramon made Ken back up. "I... I just want to see if he's okay..."

Cyberdramon held Ryo for a few minutes, until the boy finally groaned, reaching a hand up to hold his head. "Oh man, that took a lot more out of me than it used to," he murmured. "We need to practice more, Cyberdramon..."

"Ryo..." Ken's soft voice came from somewhere a few fet from them. "Ryo, what was that?"

Ryo slowly stood up again with Cyberdramon's help. "That was Biomerging, Ken," Ryo said, holding his side. "In order for Cyberdramon to attain a proper, safe, and good Mega form, I combine together with him, and we create Justimon."

Ken's palm came to touch his forehead. "Nothing makes sense anymore..."

"There's nothing wrong with learning more about Digimon, Ken," Ryo said firmly. He tried to walk towards the other boy, but flinched, hissing slightly and holding his side tighter. "Damn it..."

Ken was about to say more when Ryo's pained voice made him reconsider. There were obviously more important things to worry about right now. Despite Cyberdramon's possessive presence, Ken moved closer to Ryo and helped him to stay standing. "Did you break something?"

"I'm not sure," Ryo murmured. "I can stand up straight, though, so that's a pretty good sign." He glanced at Ken, and despite wincing in pain and holding his own torso tightly, he asked, "Will you be okay with going back?"

"I don't know what I'm okay with..." Ken admitted quietly. "But I'm not okay with you being hurt, so let's get this injury taken care of."

Ryo sighed quietly, but allowed himself to be helped back by Cyberdramon and Ken. Cyberdramon deposited his partner up in the tangle of vines, where Ryo started to remove his armor again while he waited for Ken to climb up into the tree. By the time Ken had managed, Ryo had taken off his shirt, which was being soaked red on the side. He had a huge gash running down his side, and he touched it gingerly, before suddenly pressing his fingers in, making blood drip out around them. "My bones aren't damaged," he concluded, removing his hand. "It's just a flesh wound."

"Well don't stick your hand in it!" Ken said, all flustered and freaking out. "Now there's blood everywhere. Oh... Oh... Hell, I won't be wearing it again any time soon." At once Ken grabbed up the white sweater. It was going to be pink after all of this. Ken folded the sweater into a square and pressed the fabric to Ryo's side. "I know it hurts, but we have to stop it from bleeding. Do you have anything I can stitch it with?"

"Yeah, in my poncho," Ryo said, gesturing to the black garment that was still wrapping up the egg. He flinched a bit, but not nearly as much as Ken might have been expecting when he pressed on the wound.

"All right. Hold this in place," he instructed. Ken crawled over the poncho and began searching through all of the pockets. Finally he found the needle and sturdy thread. He wished he could clean them first, but such was not his luck. "Let me see it again. If enough of the blood has stopped, I can sew you up."

Ryo moved the blood-soaked sweater aside, allowing Ken to look at the wound. The blood had stopped flowing and had been very well cleaned up, simply revealing the sickly pink of the inside of the wound. "I think it's fine now," Ryo said with a nod.

"Good, now lie down." Ken set the clean side of the sweater on the floor for Ryo to use as a pillow. "Lie on your side and put your arm up. Like that, yes. Good." Ken fed the thread through the eye of the needle, licked the tip, and began the task of sewing the gash closed. Ryo flinched and hissed, wrapping up his fingers in the vines on the floor as Ken sewed up the wound. Without anything to numb the pain, every prick of the needle made the boy shiver slightly. At least, at the beginning. Eventually Ryo lay still, eyes closed, the muscles in his face occasionally reacting to the needle peircing his skin. After a few moments of silent sewing, Ken whispered, "You didn't have to come after me."

"Y-yes I did," Ryo argued in a choked voice.

"Why?" Ken tugged on the thread gently, keeping the wound closed tight as he went. "All you have to do is take an egg back to Primary Village. You don't need me for that. There's nothing special about me that's worth keeping around."

Ryo laughed quietly, though it was shaky, shaking his head. "You don't give yourself enough credit, K-Ken... j-just h-hearing your l-laugh is a good enough r-reason to keep you around."

Ken shook his head. "I don't feel that way. Not anymore."

Ryo frowned, tucking his hands under his chin was he waited for Ken to finish. "Why not?"

"Because of everything you told me about the Digital World," Ken replied. He tugged on the thread the close the wound, tied it off, and then leaned over to bite the excess thread away.

"What's wrong with what I told you? I don't understand, Ken," Ryo murmured, frowning as he felt the thread tug as it settled.

"There's no mystery anymore," he said. Ken sighed and drew his knees into his chest. "What happened to me... took a long time for me to accept, but when I finally did, it was because I believed their was a higher power out there. I've believed this whole time that the Digital World had its own governing body of spirits. An unseen entity somewhere that gathered enough artificial intelligence together to become its own creation. I thought this Digital entity took the data it gathered from our internet and created the other Digimon with that data. I've been believing that I and the other children were chosen, destined to do what we did. But now..." Ken fisted his hands around his knees. "Now I find out that it's all because of humans. Everything I've gone through, all you've suffered from, is because of humans. Humans stuck their imperfect hands in the digital primordial ooze and messed it all up. It's because of humans that I have a Digimon inside me. It's because of humans that you have those scars. Humans thought they could play God, but they fucked it all up and we were dragged in to clean up their mess. Nothing happens here by chance. There's no magic, no mystery, to greater calling or fortune. It's all one big program that somebody couldn't keep under control. So... What does that make me now?"

Ryo listened to all of this with a pensive expression and a silent voice. When Ken finished, Ryo shook his head. "No Ken, that's wrong," he sais quietly. "Just because humans created the first digital life forms doesn't mean that they're the sole creators." He turned onto his back slowly, flinching slightly when he did. "In fact, I'm pretty sure most of those first ones didn't even survive. All they did was start the ball rolling for the Digital World to start making its own magic and dieties. Have you ever heard of the Devas?" he asked quietly. "Or the Digimon Soverigns? Those are Digimon that are legendary, spiritual... what they've attained is amazing. Just because they had human beginnings doesn't mean they're only a program. There's so much more going on here, Ken. It doesn't matter where it all came from."

Ken wiped his eyes, trying to keep the tears away. "I don't want to feel like... like my life hasn't been a miracle. A bizzare miracle, but still..." He hiccuped softly. "Like that sunset yesterday. It can't just be a design that repeats itself every night. It has to be unique, just like in the real world. You never see the same sunset twice."

"It's not," Ryo said, shaking his head. "The Digital World itself was never touched by humans. Neither were any of the Digimon. The only thing that they ever did was spark the first digital sentience. Everything here..." He reached back, gently touching the vines he was laying against. "Everything here manifested itself. The way the Digital World creates clothing, the way Digimon can be reborn, the way that Digimon can create fire, water, thunder... none of that was coded or programmed."

The pale boy managed a small smile and wiped his tears again. "I... I'm glad..."

Ryo started to sit himself upright, though he had to close his eyes and grit his teeth to do it. Still, he managed, and reached his hand forward to help wipe the rest of Ken's tears from his face. "The Digital World has so much to offer. It has Gods and evolution. It's got islands, oceans, continents, and hundreds of thousands of species... It's got it's own legacy and history... and it doesn't matter where that started, Ken. It doesn't change the fact that we're Chosen Children, destined to protect it, just because it started as a project on some computer somewhere. Just like any person, regardless of what they're born into, can rise up to something greater... the Digital World could do, and did, the same." He smiled weakly, though the pain in his side made his face twitch with effort. "I could show you so much in this world that would make you not even care where it came from."

Ken winced as he watched Ryo struggle to sit and move. The words were comforting and made him reconsider everything he'd thought. New tears came to his eyes now. "I'm so stupid for running off like that... I was an idiot and now you're hurt..."

"It's fine, Ken," Ryo said with a laugh, shaking his head and wiping Ken's eyes again. "I'll heal."

"I'm sure Rika wouldn't have done something like this..."

"Oh, but she did," Ryo said, shaking his head. "When we first met in the Digital World, she got mad at me... just for being there, I guess. And she stormed off away from the group."

Ken laughed weakly. "Not like I did. Half naked into the woods at night all mad and crying over something so silly."

"It happens to everyone. We get upset and we lose our judgement," Ryo said quietly.

Ken laughed again. "I've done that quite a bit since I got here."

"Mhm," Ryo hummed with a quiet laugh, though it was only a brief exhale through his nose. "Just... don't take everything to heart, Ken. You need to think about survival first, emotions second."

"That's the total opposite of how I think, but I'll try," he replied with a nod.

"For now... we should try and get some sleep," Ryo said, looking up into the branches. "Cyberdramon is all riled up from Biomerging, so he'll probably keep watch all night and sleep on Vikemon's back when we start off tomorrow, so we have nothing to worry about."

"Okay." Ken crawled over to where Wormmon was still alseep. He curled around hi Digimon protectively before closing his eyes. "Good night, Ryo."

Ryo watched as Ken crawled to the other side of the canopy. He slowly lowered himself back down into the vines, laying on his uninjured side. "Good night," he answered quietly, closing his eyes and letting sleep promptly take him.


	5. The Digital World

While Ken had thought it was hot before, once the sun rose over the island, it got even worse, Humidity flooded the air and it got trapped in the cradle of vines. Ken woke up to being covered in sticky sweat and breathing in thick air. "Uuugh, it's so gross!" he cried.

Ryo woke when Ken's voice suddenly cut the thick air. He yawned and rolled onto his back, feeling the sticky sweat on his skin pulling the vines with him. "Oh, man... We must have gone pretty far south," he groaned.

"I don't remember File Island ever being this hot," said Ken as he tried to wipe the sweat off his body. "Are you sure Vikemon knows where he's going?"

"He probably just went a bit off course so he could find somewhere to stop for the night," Ryo said with a shrug as he pulled himself up by the vines above. "There aren't a straight line of islands between File Island and Directory, after all."

Ken just groaned against the heat and sweat. He threw everything in his bag, picked up Wormmon, and shuffled down out of the tree. "I'm going back to the shore!" he called up to the other boy. "I need to wash off!"

"Alright! I'll be there in a little bit!" Ryo called. Vikemon was still asleep, and Ryo couldn't help but be baffled as to how the huge furry Digimon wasn't drenched in sweat.

Wormmon woke up in Ken's arms, looking around surprisedly when he realized they were moving. "Um, good morning, Ken," Wormmon said, looking up at the boy.

"Morning, Wormmon," he replied with a smile. "You slept pretty heavily last night, didn't you?"

"Yes, I was very tired," Wormmon said, stretching his claws up in the air. "How about you, Ken? Did you sleep well?"

"I'd say yes, but it wouldn't be the whole truth."

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that, Ken," Wormmon murmured, his antenna drooping.

"Don't be sad," he insisted and pet Wormmon's head. "I got a little upset about something and ran off, but Ryo came for me and we talked things through. I'm much better now."

"Well, that's good... but you need to make sure you get enough sleep, Ken!" Wormmon said worriedly, patting his boy's chest.

Ken laughed. "I got plenty of sleep, Wormmon." He looked up to see the white sand and blue waters of the beach. "Do you want to get in the water with me?" Ken asked.

"S-sure, just not too deep," Wormmon said, turning towards the water. His boy put him down on the sand, and Wormmon inched forward just enough that the water washed up around his sides when the waves came in towards shore. A particularly strong one came along and sent the little Digimon rushing back over the wet sand, spinning around a few times before he managed to tumble up onto the dry sand. Laughing gently at how cute his Digimon was in the water, Ken took to stepping out of his jeans and folding them up. There was no point in getting them wet since they were all he had. First Ken washed the blood stained sweater and laid it out to dry as well. He went to Wormmon, picked him up, and then waded out into deeper parts where the water came up around his waist. "Thank you, Ken," Wormmon said as they got into the water. "I can't get past the tide very well," he said, laughing and scratching at the back of his head with one claw.

"It's all right. You know I'm happy to help." Ken held Wormmon in one hand, lowering him into the water, and rubbed him clean with the other. The boy smiled gently when he felt his Digimon tremble. "Don't worry, Wormmon. I've got you," he said in a warm voice.

"I've never swam in anything deeper than the bathtub," Wormmon admitted, trying to tread water with his little tiny feet, but finding they made no more than a small ripple.

Ken nodded. "You know I won't let anything happen to you, though."

"Yes, but... it's still so deep," Wormmon said, looking down into the water below. He kept trying to kick his feet, but nothing really happened until Wormmon discovered that he could lift his front feet high enough to splash a bit. He began to do so, wiggling in Ken's hands and laughing when he splashed himself right in the face.

The boy began to laugh as well, making his bird song of a sound. "Now you've got it!" he praise. "Look at you go, Wormmon!"

Wormmon and Ken spent quite a while swimming, splashing, laughing. Ryo and Cyberdramon arrived at the shore later. Ryo had put his shirt and armor back on, hiding his wound. Cyberdramon stood stoicly by his side, not caring that the water was washing up around his feet and getting them wet. "Hey, Ken!" Ryo called. "You about ready to set sail?"

Ken turned to face the shore. Some loose hairs brushed his cheek in the breeze. "Coming!" he called back. Ken made his way back to the sand and set Wormmon down on the dry land. Luckily it was warm enough that just standing under the sun for a few moments got him dry. So, Ken slipped his slim jeans back on and traded the white sweater for the purple tanktop.

"You came prepared, huh?" Ryo said, laughing. In his arms he held what looked like several folded pieces of fabric. "I actually trapsed back into the forest to find some stuff to make you a new shirt, but I'll just save it if you've got more."

"Oh, yeah," Ken replied with a laugh of his own. "I know how much the Digital World can change from one climate to the next. These two shirts and extra socks were all I brought though."

"I'll save this, then." Ryo turned to Cyberdramon, who was holding the DigiEgg. He unwrapped his poncho from the egg and instead wrapped it in the spare fabric, handing it back to his Digimon before putting his poncho back on around his waist. It was then that Vikemon appeared, swimming towards them from the other side of the island. "Good morning!" Ryo called, waving to the furry white beast.

Ken looked surprised. "Where on earth did he come from? He was asleep under the tree not two hours ago."

"It doesn't take me two hours to wake up," Vikemon laughed, causing a large wave to wash up as he approached the shore. Cyberdramon actually stepped back a few steps.

"Well I realize that, but where did you get in the water at?" Ken asked. "I would have thought you'd come out this way."

"This island is pretty symetrical on all sides, it took the same amount of time to walk to the shore on the other side. I wanted to check a few things out," Vikemon explained as he got close to the shore, offering his arm as a plank for the group to climb on board.

Ken nodded. "I see." He climbed on first at Ryo's insisting gesture, but not before making sure he had Wormmon with him again. "Think maybe we can camp somewhere less humid tonight?" he asked good heartedly.

"I'll try," Vikemon snickered, as Ryo and Cyberdramon got on as well. Just like Ryo had perdicted, Cyberdramon promptly found a place to curl up and sleep, having stayed up through the night. Ken watched Wormmon scuttle towards the front of Vikemon's back where he stood and spread his claws, pretending to soar on the wind. Ken giggled softly and shook his head. Ryo found the same place as yesterday, leaning back against Vikemon's mace's handles. The large Digimon started to swim, and Ryo began to check the compass on his D-Arc. Vikemon was starting to swim north as they pulled away from the island, and Ryo nodded his head before turning it off, content in the knowledge that Vikemon seemed to know they'd gone off course a bit. Since his little performance last night, Ken decided to take it easy. His indigo eyes would wander the horizon, watching the clouds change and feeling the wind shift direction ever so slightly. After a while he took to laying on his back, hands behind his head, and humming softly to himself.

The trip went on like that for a while. The boys simply listened to the water and the wind, watching the skies. Ryo seemed to have a high tolerance for the long, uneventful trip, but Wormmon quickly began to pace up and down Vikemon's neck, making the large Digimon laugh slightly, shaking his back and jerking Ryo out of a near-sleep he'd almost attained. "Wh-what's happening?" he gasped. "A-are we being attacked?" he asked, trying to scramble to his feet.

"No! No!" Ken hurried over and put his hands on Ryo's shoulders. "We're fine! Calm down... I think Wormmon's pacing is tickling Vikemon."

"What? Oh..." Ryo sighed, scratching at the back of his head embarrassedly. "I was half asleep, I had no idea what just happened," he explained, laughing quietly. "I should really be paying attention..." he murmured, mentally scolding himself.

Ken shook head. "No, it's all right." He absently brushed his fingers against Ryo's face, trying to be reassuring. "I'm keeping an eye and an ear out as well. If we were in danger then I would let you know." Ken smiled. "I'm afraid we're just drifting over the ocean right now, though."

Ryo laughed, slumping against Ken's shoulder for support. "I'm not used to long periods of nothing happening," he said, shaking his head with an embarrassed grin.

Fingers brushed the brown shirt. "How's your wound doing?"

Ryo hissed slightly when Ken casted his fingers over it. "Still healing," he laughed with a broken laugh. "It probably won't close up for a while... it's pretty deep."

"You should have gone in the water, too," he said. "It would have stung, but the salt would have cleaned it."

Ryo shrugged his shoulders. "It'll be alright. I can do that at the next island... for now I just need to figure out a way to occupy myself out here before I go nuts."

"We can play a game," Ken offered.

"Like what?" Ryo asked, looking over at the other boy.

"Mmmmn... Twenty Questions?"

"What's that?" Ryo asked, quirking an eyebrow.

The boy grinned. "Well, I have to think of something. Either a person, place, or thing. A thing being an animal, plant or mineral. You can ask me twenty yes or no questions in order to figure out what it is. If you guess right, it's your turn to think of something. If you don't guess right, then it's my turn again."

"Hm... But... what if you think of something I don't know... or remember?" Ryo asked.

"Do you remember fruits?" Ken asked. "Cars? Animals? Flowers?"

Ryo pondered for a moment, scratching at his head. "Well, I mean, sort of. But mostly when I think of those things... I think of Digital World equivalents... and I don't think I could tell you anything about cars."

"I'll keep it simple," Ken insisted. "Like van, truck, jeep, plane, boat, or car."

"We can try it, Ken, but I don't think I'll be much fun," Ryo said with a quiet laugh. "You won't be able to make it complex and hard to figure out."

Ken shrugged. "It's just to help pass the time. Okay, what am I thinking of?"

"Um..." Ryo started to think, sitting down and pulling Ken to sit down next to him. "A... thing?"

Ken sat down and nodded. "Yes."

"Is it a car?" Ryo asked, folding his hands in his lap.

"No," he replied with a smile. "That would be too easy."

"Um... an animal?" Ryo asked.

Ken shook his head. "It's not a living thing."

"Then a mineral?"

"Mmn... I may have mislead you before with that. Think of inanimate objects not found in nature."

"Uh, um... a toy? Electronics?"

Ken smiled. "No..."

"I'm gonna run out of questions before I even get one 'yes'," Ryo said with a long sigh. "Um... clothing? I don't know, Ken..."

Ken laughed and touched Ryo's leg. "You still have 14 questions left. Here... I'm not a toy, but you still use your imagination when you use me. I'm not clothing, but I have a jacket."

Ryo began to ponder this, putting his elbow on his knee and holding his head in his hand. "Imagination... not clothing, but has a jacket..." he murmured, letting out a long breath of confusion. "Is it something I won't find in the Digital World?"

He nodded his head. "I've come across them a few times."

"That jacket hint is really throwing me," Ryo said with a laugh. "Um... is it... a Digivolution item?"

"No, it's a real world item. I know many words, but I cannot speak."

"Oh, uh... I misunderstood you... is it... a book?" Ryo asked.

Ken clapped his hands praisingly. "You got it!"

"Oh! Uh... sweet!" Ryo said, grinning. "I guess it's not as hard as I thought it would be."

"See? I told you. Do you get the jacket part now?"

"Yeah, now I understand it. It threw me off, though," Ryo said, laughing. "I should have figured you picked books from the start, though."

Smiling, Ken nodded again. "You really should have. Now it's your turn."

Ryo grinned widely, and quickly took to thinking of an item. The game went back and forth for a while. Ken was much better at it than Ryo was, getting the items much faster, though Ryo sometimes thought up items in the Digital World that he assumed Ken knew, but stumped the boy. They managed to amuse each other throughout the morning and afternoon, playing games that Ken knew. Ryo remembered some from his time in the real world, but had to be taught most of them and usually wasn't very good, but he tried his best. At the end of it, Ryo had to wonder if he knew any games that Ken didn't. That's when he got an idea. "Ken, Ken! Check these out." He rifled into a pocket in his poncho, pulling out a bunch of cards. On the back, in big yellow letters, was printed 'DIGIMON'. On the front were pictures of Digimon, items, crests, Digivices, and lots of other things. Ryo handed them over for Ken to look at.

Curious eyes looked over each card. He'd frown slightly, tilting his head one way or the other. "Why is all our stuff on these cards?" Ken finally asked.

"It's from the other dimension," Ryo explained. "These are cards from the Digimon Trading Card game!"

"That is interesting..." Ken said slowly, but with a pout. "I can understand it's a game, but this hardly seems fair."

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked, tilting his head to the side.

A card with the Crest of Kindness was held up. "We all had to work really hard to earn our crests. These kids can just go to the corner store and buy them?"

"They're just cards of crests," Ryo said with a quiet laugh. "They don't do anything unless you have a D-Arc."

Ken looked back down at the cards. "Next you're going to tell me that a kid with a Wormmon and a D-Arc doesn't even need to use this card to make Wormmon evolve."

"Normal kids don't have D-Arcs, Ken, only chosen children," Ryo said, shaking his head. "I can use these cards to help Cyberdramon in battle. But to anyone without a real Digimon partner, they're just trading cards."

"Good." His cheeks puffed out cutely in another pout. "Because that would just be cheating! Wormmon needs me to evolve, so it had better be the same for everyone else."

Ryo laughed, taking the stack of cards from Ken and shuffling until he found a Wormmon card. "Okay, look at the Digivolution requirements. You need to play a Crest of Kindness in order to Digivolve to Stingmon. You need a DigiEgg of Courage in order to Digivolve to Shadramon. You need a DigiEgg of Light to Digivolve to Quetzalmon, a DigiEgg of Kindness to Digivolve to Bucchiemon, or a DigiEgg of Destiny or Miracles to Digivolve to Kongoumon."

Again Ken frowned, but this time in confusion. "But... The DigiEgg of Courage belongs to Davis. Light belongs to Kari, and Miracles belongs to Willis. How can Wormmon use any of those to evolve?"

"Oh, if you guys mixed up your DigiEggs, you could use them to Digivolve your own Digimon. Heck, even my partner can use DigiEggs if he's in his Rookie form. Monodramon can use the DigiEgg of Sincerity to Digivolve into Kabukimon, and the DigiEgg of Reliability to Digivolve into Depthmon."

"I'm confused..." Ken said apologetically.

"Anybody can use DigiEggs to Digivolve," Ryo explained. "But only some Digimon can use them. Some Digimon, like Wormmon, could use any DigiEgg they want. Veemon can do it too. It takes a lot of time and paitence, or a deep emotional connection with the person who properly weilds the DigiEgg, though. So, if you tried to use another Chosen Child's DigiEgg, you could, because you're all so close and work together on a team. You never tried it?"

Ken shook his head. "No, we were told that our crests and DigiEggs were special only to us. Our elements reflected our most precious traits, and only that child could utilize its power."

"That's not how I've seen it work," Ryo said, frowning and leaning back. "When I fought your evil clone... he used a bunch of DigiEggs to Digivolve Wormmon every which way."

"Well... I hate to disappoint you..." Ken said quietly, wringing his hands in his lap. "I don't even have a DigiEgg of Kindness. I didn't know there was one. All I have... is a crest."

"Really?" Ryo asked, frowning slightly. "Then... maybe it's still in the Digital World somewhere."

"Maybe I'm not meant to have it," Ken said. "I mean, all the other second generation chosen found their eggs, but all I ever had was my crest."

"Have you ever looked?" Ryo asked, raising an eyebrow crtically at the boy.

Ken shrugged. "Well, no..." he confessed. "But no one did. The DigiEggs were revealed to them. Most of the chosens even had two eggs."

"That doesn't matter! We should go look for it, or keep an eye out at least. If you have the crest, you should have the DigiEgg too! Doesn't that make sense? Besides... you'd like Bucchiemon," he laughed, looking through his cards and passing one back over to Ken.

Ken looked down at the card and blushed. "Wormmon would turn into that?" On the card was a little white creature with pink gloves, pink boots, a pink bow around its neck, and a pink hat with floppy antenna that ended in hearts. "It's... so cute..."

"I thought you'd say that," Ryo said, smiling. "That's his Armor form. It surprised me when I saw it first, but it's kinda nice, huh? Even if there isn't a bit of armor in sight on him."

"Heartner Beam? Love and Fire? Love Lazer?" Ken giggled. "Are you sure he can damage anything with those attacks?"

"Don't underestimate heart-shaped attacks. I've seen a heart-shaped bubble blow something up," Ryo mockingly scolded, wagging his finger.

Ken nodded. "Love can be quite dangerous, I'm sure."

"Yeah," Ryo agreed, leaning his head back and nodding. "It's not to be taken lightly." Guilt flooded Ken's chest again. Why did he keep going back to that? He yelled at himself. Leave it alone! It wasn't like Ken's heart wasn't in a fragile place already. It'd been broken once by another. Ken knew he shouldn't be so eager to have it shattered again. Besides... Ryo loved Rika. He had plans to see her again someday. Ken had to let it go. He knew that... He did... Ryo studied the boy for a moment. He watched Ken's expression change and his eyes glance back down at the cherubic Digimon on the card. After a moment, Ryo stumbled into a standing position. "I'll be right back. I need to ask Vikemon something," he said, before staggering off towards the Digimon's shoulder.

Ken watched Ryo, making sure he didn't fall. When the other boy seemed fine, Ken rolled on his stomach next to Wormmon. "Do you know who this is?" he asked and held up the card.

Wormmon looked at the card, then shook his head. "No Ken, why?"

A tender smile. "Because it's you."

"Is it?" Wormmon asked. He took the card in his claws and looked at the Digivolution information. "Huh... I guess it is..."

"The DigiEgg of Kindness might be out there somewhere. Ryo thinks we should look for it. What do you think?"

"Well... why not?" Wormmon asked, lowering the card. "I'd... like to be able to Armor Digivolve like all the others..."

Ken nodded. "Then we will." He reached out and carefully rubbed down Wormmon's back. "You know I love you just the way you are, Wormmon. That's why I asked what you wanted. You need to be happy just as much as me. If Armor Evolving is something you want to do, then we'll make it happen."

Wormmon nodded, his antenna standing up happily. "I'm glad for the chance! If we can find the DigiEgg of Kindness... that'd be great."

"You'll show all thost big bad Digimon who's bose with your Love Lazer, right?" he asked with a laugh.

"With my what?" Wormmon asked, flipping the card up again and checking the attack names. A red blush suddenly spread across his face. "Really?"

Ken giggled even louder and nuzzled his nose to Wormmon's cheek. "You're my little love bug."

Wormmon continued to blush as Ryo approached again. "Having fun with the cards?" Ryo asked, laughing as he came to sit beside Ken again.

"Tell me I have a manly armor form, too!" Wormmon insisted, waving the card around.

"Well, uh... There's this one," Ryo said, searching through his deck and handing Ken and Wormmon a Bullmon card.

Ken pouted at his Digimon. "But you'd need TK's DigiEgg to become that."

"But wouldn't it be cool?" Wormmon asked, waving the card around. Ryo laughed and began to search through the cards, looking for other ones for Wormmon. He started to spread them out in front of him. Togemogumon, Aurumon, Nohemon, Searchmon, Archelomon, Quetzalmon, Kongoumon, and the last one. Shadramon, which Wormmon held up. "Look at this one, Ken! I look like Flamedramon with wings!"

Ken just nodded. "Yeah, you do," he replied softly. "Which one do you like best, Wormmon?"

"I like this one," Wormmon said, holding up the Quetzalmon card. "It's very cool looking, don't you think?" he asked, showing off the holographic image of the white and red armored snake with wings emerging fron its head like ears.

Another simple nod. "Very cool. Is that what you would like to be?"

"Well... I'd like to be able to be all of them," Wormmon said, looking at the cards. "But I like this one and Shadramon a lot."

"All right." Ken sat up and dug through his bag for his D-Terminal. He'd never thought about doing this before, but if Ryo said it was possible, then it was worth a try. For Wormmon. It took a few long minutes of trading messages with the two people he was most awkward with, but soon a little chime was heard from the terminal. Shadramon wouldn't be such a good idea on Vikemon's back, so Quetzalmon it was. The DigiEgg of Light flashed on the screen which Ken looked at and smiled slightly. Here goes nothing. "Digimental, Up..." The D-Terminal beeped rapidly before a beam shot out from its port and hit Wormmon, swallowing him in a pink light.

Ryo had watched this curiously, resisting the urge to look over Ken's shoulder at the messages he was getting. When the light hit Wormmon, Ryo leaned forward to watch. Wormmon's body suddenly elongated beneath the cover of the light, becoming so long that he nearly touched the end of Vikemon's tail with is own. Two huge wings emerged from near his head, breaking out of the light, exposing beautiful white feathers. His body was covered in white armor, decorated with red and gold designs, except for one patch where a wild green mane was allowed to emerge. Blue eyes snapped open. "Quetzalmon!" Ryo's blue eyes went wide, and he began to applaud.

"Try it out," Ken urged, gesturing towards the sky. "Your first Armor Evolution should be experienced to the fullest."

"Alright!" Quetzalmon said excitedly, nodding his head before he took off into the sky. His flight caught Cyberdramon's interest, who lifted his head to watch as Quetzalmon started to fly around in circles above them, doing dips, quick turns, and spinning all around.

The weight in Ken's chest showed on his face depsite his smile as he watched his Digimon play in the sky. "Quetzalmon..."

"What's the matter, Ken?" Ryo asked, looking over at the boy. "Aren't you happy?"

"Of course," he replied. "I was able to give Wormmon what he wanted. He's so happy now. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't sound thrilled..." Ryo murmured gently.

Ken shook his head. "You heard what he said. He didn't like Bucchiemon. Wormmon got way more excited about the other Armors. He wanted to be them instead. It's just... Disappointing that my trait was his least favorite, that's all." He finally looked back at Ryo with a slight smile. "You know me, though. If Wormmon wants the other Armors, I'll get them for him. He deserves to be happy. I'll make sure of it."

"Oh, I see," Ryo said, picking up the Bucchiemon card. He then picked up the Shadramon and Quetzalmon cards, and studied them for a moment before saying, "Have you ever thought that maybe Wormmon just likes flying?"

"Of course. Flying is Wormmon's favorite thing in the whole world. That and being bigger than he is now."

"Well, Quetzalmon and Shadramon both fly. And besides that, the only other Armor of his that flies is Aurumon, but he's small. I don't think he dislikes Bucchiemon, I just think he likes flying."

"Don't you think I want to give him that?" Ken sighed. "I want more than anything to give Wormmon everything he wants. You should have seen him the first time he evolved into Stingmon. You'd think he'd found the Holy Grail. He was so excited to be tall and able to fly. It almost broke my heart to see him change back. Even to this day, Wormmon has this tiny look of disappoinment on his face when he devolves." Ken tucked some hair behind his ear and looked up to watch Quetzalmon again. "I wish I could keep him as Stingmon, if only to make him happy. Here he finds out he could finally Armor Evolve, but it's not even a form he likes. I can't give Wormmon what he wants even by my own merit. I have to borrow from the others."

"Have you ever Digivolved him to Ultimate with your crest, Ken?" Ryo asked, looking over at the other boy. "That's something you could give him that he'd definately love."

"I haven't... gotten him that far yet..."

"Well, all you need is a tag, right?" Ryo asked, brandishing a tag card. "We can keep an eye out for that, too. And who knows? Maybe you can Digivolve him to Ultimate one day."

Ken sighed tiredly. "Maybe..."

"Don't think about it too much," Ryo said, putting his hands behind his head. "I just... get excited about Digivolution."

"What did you ask Vikemon about?" the boy inquired, wanting to change the subject.

"Oh... I asked for us to stop at a certain island. And to try and get there before the sun goes down," Ryo said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I hope it doesn't rain..."

"Rain?" Ryo asked, looking over at the boy. "What's wrong with rain?"

Ken shrugged. "It makes me sad, I guess."

"Mm... I suppose," Ryo said, looking up at the sky. "It looks clear..."

Crossing his legs now, Ken sat and looked at Ryo with a tilt of his head. "What kind of dreams do you have, Ryo?"

"Dreams?" Ryo asked, putting his hands behind his head. "Well, I dream about a lot of different things... A lot of my dreams are flash backs to things that have actually happened to me. But I also dream about what the kids from the other universe are doing now that they're older... I dream about what our universe must be like now... I dream about finding new places in this world that I never knew about... And I usually dream about... Monodramon..."

Ken was smiling again. "Those all sounds like really nice dreams. Really interesting."

"They are nice... but they can be sad," Ryo murmured with a quiet sigh. "Because I usually wake up wishing I could do and see all of those things."

"You can still do some of those things. You can always visit Rika and her friends. You can find new places in this world. I know your Monodramon is in Cyberdramon now, but that doesn't mean you can't go see other ones. Cyberdramon might even like them."

"No, I mean... I dream about Cyberdramon... being Monodramon again. Before Millenniummon was inside him." He looked up at the dragon-like Digimon, sleeping now on top of the mace handle. "And I can't visit anywhere, either. I promised I wouldn't take him back to the real world until he was safe."

Ken frowned. "That's what I said, and... At least you have the option."

Ryo sighed, rubbing his eyes. "The reason I won't bring him back is because he almost accidentally killed Rika."

Ken sighed as well. "Of course he did..."

"What do you mean by that?" Ryo asked.

"Nothing, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Ryo crossed his arms, letting out a breath and falling silent. He stared at Vikemon's fur, but he had no more to say. That was when Quetzalmon landed, turning back into Wormmon when he hit the fur. He quickly wiggled over to Ken, waving his claws excitedly. "Ken! Ken, did you see me?"

Ken was thankful for the distraction. He smiled at his Digimon and scooped him up into his arms. "I sure did, Wormmon. You were amazing up there. Very graceful."

"We have to tell everyone about this! Can you imagine if everyone got to try everyone else's DigiEggs? We could all turn into such cool Digimon! And- and- and, once we find our DigiEgg, we can let everyone try it too!"

Indigo eyes widened slightly. "You... You still want to find our DigiEgg?"

"O-of course, Ken!" Wormmon said, antenna perking up. "I want to try everyone else's, sure, but we have to find ours! It'll be so great to finally have a DigiEgg of our own, won't it?"

"Wormmon..." His voice only managed a whisper as tears shimmered in his eyes. Ken drew his Digimon close, holding the little insect to his chest. "Yes... Yes, it will be great..."

Wormmon looked confused, wiggling a little in Ken's arms. "Ken? Ken, why are you crying?"

"I thought you didn't want to be Bucchiemon," he answered shamefully.

"What? Why would you think that, Ken?" Wormmon asked, touching his chest with two claws. "Of course I do... I was just excited over how many options there are!"

The boy paused. "Because... Well, because my DigiEgg won't make you bigger or let you fly."

"So?" Wormmon asked, tilting his head to the side. "Every DigiEgg will do something different... isn't that the point?"

"So I know that's what you love," Ken explained. "I felt bad that my DigiEgg couldn't make you happy."

"Oh Ken," Wormmon said, nuzzling his head into his boy's chest. "Of course it will."

Ken managed a laugh. A real laugh. He felt so silly. "You still want to be my love bug, Wormmon?"

"Yes, Ken," Wormmon answered, laughing as well, curling up in Ken's lap.

Ken laughed a bit more as he rubbed his fingers along one of Wormmon's antenna. After a short while, he looked up at the other boy. "I really am sorry, Ryo. I shouldn't have said that back there. It was terribly rude of me."

"Don't worry about it," Ryo said quietly, as he started to pick up his cards from Vikemon's fur and put them back into a pile.

Ken shook his head. "No, I need to apologize. I know I haven't been the best company, and I'm sorry. I guess... It just feels like everything is changing. Me, the people around me, even what I thought I knew about the Digital World. I don't like that feeling. Change that I can't control... I hate it. I don't react well, but I know that's not an excuse. I'm going to try harder to understand, though. Be better about all of this."

"It's fine, Ken," Ryo said, shaking his head as he slid his cards back into a pocket on his poncho. "I undertand. Change... can be unsettling." He smiled slightly, before sliding down into the fur, turning over onto his side, looking like he'd gone to sleep. "I asked Vikemon if we could stop at an island before we start losing light. So it won't be too long," he murmured as a final thought.

"All right..." Ken said with a nod. He moved away slightly, giving Ryo the space he sensed was needed. Ken then looked down at his Digimon. "I don't think I'm doing a very good job," he said quietly.

"K-keep trying, Ken," Wormmon said, patting the boy's arm encouragingly, even if his voice wasn't very. Ryo fell asleep until he suddenly felt a slight tilting, and woke up to Vikemon lumbering onto the shore of another island. Like Ryo had asked, it was still light out. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and quickly standing, jumping up on top of the wooden mace handle to look over the island.

Putting one arm down to balance himself, Ken held Wormmon in the other so he would topple off. He was relieved when this island didn't feel too uncomfortably hot or cold. There was a nice breeze coming up off the water while the air felt warm like a pleasant spring afternoon. "Is this the place?" Ken asked curiously.

"Guess so," Ryo said, as he vaulted over the side onto the sand below. "I'm going to go scout around. You guys find some shelter for tonight, okay?" he said, as he waved for Cyberdramon to follow them and then ran off deep into the jungle-like environment of the island.

"S-See you... later..." Ken tried to call after him, but Ryo was long gone too quickly. Ken sighed, but slid down Vikemon's back and began to task of looking for shelter. "Maybe we can find another tree, or even a cave," he said aloud. Wormmon had been put on his boy's head to keep an eye out for food, danger, potential shelter and the like. Ken soon found a tree that had grown curving toward the ground, along with a generous growth of elephant plants, and it gave him an idea. "Wormmon, go around to these bushes and bite the really big leaves off. Have Cyberdramon help you carry them back over here. I'm going to gather from vines."

"Okay, Ken," Wormmon said, nodding his head and jumping off of his partner's head to do what he was asked. Cyberdramon brought them back to Ken every time Wormmon had made a sizeable pile. Vikemon simply watched over them, keeping an eye out for any potential danger, his hand far too big and claws too sharp for dealing with plants. Meanwhile, after gathering a considerable amount of long vines, Ken began to work. He climbed atop the cuving tree and tied one end of each vine to the long trunk. One vine would fall to the right, the next vine to the left, then to the right, and so on until he had about fourty vines on each side. Ken then tied the other end of the vines to bits of sturdy branches which he shoved into the dirt like stakes. Then came the tedious task of weaving the large leaves between the vines. When all was said and done, the boy had created a tent with a tree spine, and vine and leaf sides. It was big enough for Cyberbramon to stand up inside and could lay three of him head to toe under its cover.

Ryo eventually returned, eyes widening a little when he looked for the others only to spot the tent. Though, of course, the first thing he'd seen was Vikemon's hulking form resting next to it. He ducked inside to find Ken and Wormmon resting on one side and Cyberdramon on the other. "Hey, Ken?" he aked as he entered. "Could you come with me? I wanna show you something."

"Sure!" Ken stood up, smiling at Ryo. "Do you like the tent? I saw the tree and the idea just came to me."

"It's impressive," Ryo said, nodding as he stepped out again, allowing Ken room to pass. "You built it really quickly."

"I had help. Wormmon is quick with his pincers, and Cyberdramon followed instructions really well. I was surprised at how careful he was with the weaving part."

"Cyberdramon's really great when he's calm," Ryo said, as he started to lead the way through the jungle, towards the opposite end of the island from the one they landed on. It seemed as if the land was on a subtle incline that became steeper the farther they went. "When he hasn't fought in a while, he gains back a lot of skills he normally loses to rage."

Ken nodded. "He seems really... cautious around me. I meant to ask..." Indigo eyes glanced at the other boy. "When I touched him, you know what happened to me, but... Was Cyberdramon alright? I didn't hurt him, too, did I? I hope not."

"He went back into his cave... he was probably fine, maybe just a little troubled," Ryo said, frowning slightly. "He's never come in contact like that... so I'm not sure what his normal reaction would be. But Cyberdramon is strong. He can deal with that sort of thing." As the brunet led them farther, the jungle began to become sparser, until they finally stepped out of the trees onto a cliff. It was a narrow cliff that extended out into the ocean. The sun was just starting to fall out of the sky as Ryo led them out onto the peak, and sat down upon it, crossing his legs. There was enough space for them to sit comfortably without the fear of falling, but it did taper away from the rest of the island considerably.

Ken's eyes closed at first from the sudden gust of wind that blew up from the side of the cliff. When he blinked them back open, he gasped and stared in awe at the image before him. Another breathtaking sunset. "There's more gold in it today," Ken said as he sat beside Ryo.

"Yeah," Ryo said, nodding his head slightly. He watched the sun slowly sink into the thrashing sea for a few moments. The light of the day began to slowly wild away, casting a deep blue color over the rest of the sky. He glanced at Ken, watching as shadows grew across his pale skin while what was left of the sun struck bright blues in his eyes. "Ken... I know today I encouraged you to stay in the Digital World longer and look for your DigiEgg, but... maybe you shouldn't," he said quietly.

Ken's head snapped to look at Ryo, eyes wide slightly. His normal reaction would have been to ask why, loudly, probably in a whine, and beg to stay; however... that wouldn't be appropriate. Instead, Ken looked down at his hands in his lap. "Why do you say that?" he asked calmly.

"Because it seems like whenever I show or tell you anything new about the Digital World, you get upset," Ryo said quietly, leaning back on his hands as he kept his eyes trained on the sun's slow descent. "And I don't like to see that."

"Ryo, please, I..." Ken shook his head. No, don't beg. "I understand how much you love the Digital World. I see it on your face and I hear it in your voice. The passion you have for this place is inspiring. Really. I also know that my reactions have been anything but positive. I've had the wrong attitude all along. I've been really confused and lonely lately. When I came here, I was expecting something I shouldn't have. I came with unrealistic hopes. I've been trying to get over that and it's made me horrible company. Like I said before, too... I thought I understood the Digital World, then it sort of became something completely different. I didn't like that idea. You showed me that it was still wonderful, though." Ken sighed and shrugged. "I don't want to ruin your feelings for this place though, so... I'll take Wormmon to look for a gate on File Island once we get there. I'll leave."

"It's not about that, Ken," Ryo said, shaking his head. "It's not about how much I love the Digital World. The Digital World's been pretty cruel to me." He looked over at the other boy, frowning gently. "But I don't want you to stay here if it will make you sad. Every time your voice gets upset, I hear the voice of that little boy that came with me here for the first time all those years ago. The boy I hated to love because that meant it hurt so much more when I saw him cry." He turned back to the sunset, letting out a quiet breath. "That's why I want you to go back. I can't stand to see you saddened over every new thing I show or tell you. I'd rather you just not see them or know them at all and be happy."

"Ryo..." Only Ken's voice sort of faded off. Had he really been _that_ bad since he got here? No doubt he had been. "I wasn't happy at home, either. That's why I came here. I don't know... maybe I'm just a sad person. Which makes things even worse, I'm sure. I want to be happy, though. I want to be happy with you." Ken looked Ryo, even if Ryo wasn't looking at him. "Maybe I just need a little help getting back there. We both have been through hell. Been through really hard times. I think that will really help bring us closer; back to where we used to be. We just... have to be willing to open up. If you're willing to give me another chance, then I want to try, Ryo. I want to try understanding this world the way you do."

Ryo was quiet for several moments, watching the sun as it made its final descent into the ocean. The golden light quickly faded away, leaving only the purple glow of the new moonlight in its wake. Ryo let out a long breath, nodding his head understandingly. "If that's what you want, Ken... then you're welcome to stay with me." He looked at the other boy with blue eyes tinted by the moonlight. "But only if you think it will make you happy."

Ken took a chance and reached out, touching the back of Ryo's hand with his. "I'm sure it will. I just... I don't want to be alone anymore, Ryo."

"I know the feeling," Ryo murmured, still watching the horizon even though the sunset was over. He lifted his thumb from beneath and gently rubbed the back of the hand that was placed over his.

Ken smiled and the soft shade of pink warmed his cheeks. "I know you have a lot to deal with Cyberdramon. There's just as much Millenniummon in him as there is in me, but... Just so you know. So you aren't caught off guard... Sometimes I kind of have bad days. When those days happen, don't take it personally, okay? I'll still feel worlds better on the inside that I have you with me."

"Everyone has bad days, Ken... I understand that," Ryo said gently, shrugging his shoulders up around his ears, and his tone changing, perhaps a tad nervously. "I just don't want you to have the kind of bad days that put you in danger... okay?"

"I'll try, but..." Ken lifted Ryo's hand and touched the back of it to his cheek. "I'll have my Bio-Merged knight in shining armor to rescue me, right?" he asked with a gentle laugh. His song bird laugh.

Ryo laughed as well. He didn't move his hand, he just allowed Ken to grasp it. After a few moments his fingers curled down towards his palm, but were stopped by the back of Ken's hand, twining his fingers into Ken's still extended ones. "So long as both of his halves are cooperating you will," the boy chuckled.

Ken finally let go of Ryo's hand. He sensed it had been long enough and didn't want to push his boundaries. "Besides, Wormmon will have nine evolutions to choose from. At least until we find my egg. He'll be able to protect me, too. I know he'll love it."

Ryo frowned slightly, and sought out Ken's hand again, grabbing it and setting them between them on the narrow strip of land. "Sorry, can I?" he asked, as his eyes flicked back to the ocean.

Surprise showed on Ken's face first, but it melted into a warm and joyful smile. "Of course... Always..."


	6. Overdell

They eventually returned to Ken's self-made campsite. Ryo let go of the boy's hand after helping him to his feet for them to walk back, and they easily crashed inside the tent once they returned. In the morning, they set sail once again in brighter spirits. File Island was getting ever closer and they'd be there after just one or two more stops. One with the best travelling conditions, of course. Unfortunately, their plan got thrown off a little when it started to rain hard on the sea, and they had to stop on an island that was so tiny that they barely all fit. Luckily, Vikemon found two rocks to stretch across for his bed, and this created a furry cave beneath him for the others to take shelter in from the rain. Ryo was holding the DigiEgg in his lap, he and Ken wrapped up together in the brown pelt that Vikemon normally wore on his back. "Have to tell you," Ken said, cozied up beside Ryo for warmth, and staring out at the grey, wet scene just outside. "Rain still makes me kind of sad."

"Not too many people enjoy the rain," Ryo murmured quietly, rubbing the shell of the egg he held in his lap, buried beneath layers of warm brown fur that was pulled up to his chest, and Ken's neck. "I like it, though. The Digital World barely ever gets rain... it shows that the world is still alive."

"See... I don't know why, though," Ken went on to say. "I can appreciate the rain. It's a beautiful concept representing life, rejuvination, and so forth." He sighed a little, but mostly in thought. "I think... Something might have happened in the rain that made me dislike it, only I don't know what. I mean, sometimes I even have the urge to go run through the rain, laughing and splashing in puddles, but the grey hits me, and... I get all sad for some reason."

"It's not very colorful," Ryo murmured. He leaned his head over, resting it on top of Ken's. "It's pretty dreary, even if it is restoring everything... it's much nicer in the morning when there's water droplets on everything. When the rain is pouring down, gravity gets all out of whack and pushes down on your bones... So when it rains, all I want to do is lay down."

Ken nodded. "Exactly, I know just what you mean. I think..." The boy pondered, thinking back. "I think I actually fell asleep in the rain once."

"Outside, in the rain?" Ryo asked, raising an eyebrow. "You remember that?"

"I was really angry about something, so I ran away. I was all alone except for the trees. Rain started to fall. It was heavy and kind of cold." Ken licked his lips. "I just... Sat down on the ground until I fell asleep. While it was raining."

"That... sounds like a good reason to be sad," Ryo murmured. He looked out at the way the rain broke the surface of the tumbling ocean and sighed quietly. "It makes me kinda sad, too. Mostly because it barely ever rains in the Digital World... so even though I know it's good for rejuvenation... I just don't like to see such a vibrant world look so gray."

Ken tilted his head a little more to one side. "Does the Digital World need rain?"

"I don't know... it seems to do fine without rain for a long time. But some Digimon love the rain. I've seen rain come and a ton of Plant Digimon will suddenly Digivolve. Veggiemon mostly. But when there's long periods without rain, nothing seems to start to wilt." The boy shrugged his shoulders as he pulled the pelt a bit closer around his shoulders, bringing Ken a bit closer with it. "I don't think it needs it, but it helps."

He nodded. "That actually sounds really neat. I never thought of plant Digimon to be like... well, plants. Wormmon is obviously a bug, but he doesn't burrow through the dirt or eat plants. I guess they're all different in their own way." Ken smiled as he was pulled closer. Feeling Ryo's warm body beside his brought a strong comfort to him. "I hope Elecmon isn't too crabby this time."

"Elecmon has a lot of stress going on, dealing with all of those baby Digimon," Ryo said, laughing quietly. "At least he doesn't have to deal with as many as Swanmon does... do you know about her, Ken?"

"Yeah, but sometimes he all, like... Rawr don't touch the eggs!" the boy said, making a funny little monster face. "Swanmon?" Ken looked up, his face softening back. "No, tell me?"

"Well, DigiEggs don't just... form out of no where. The data goes back to this tree. The data clings to these branches, and then the DigiEgg reforms. Swanmon takes care of the tree and the Digimon that hatch out of the DigiEggs. But... if a DigiEgg falls off the tree without hatching, she sends it to Elecmon to care for to make sure nothing's wrong with it. That's why Elecmon's so protective," Ryo said with a quiet laugh.

"Oh wow," Ken breathed. "I didn't know it happned like that. So... The Digital World has an actual Tree of Life."

"Mhm," Ryo said, nodding his head. "That's where DigiEggs come from, and there's tons more baby Digimon there than there are in Primary Village. And when they're old enough, Swanmon puts them on a train to go back to their natural habitats."

"A train?" Ken laughed. "That's so cute! I can just picture all these little In-Training Digimon on a train, all excited and having fun, traveling the Digital World."

"I've seen it once before. There was an entire car of just Tokomon, and the rest were a huge jumble of young Digimon," he said. "A few of them were already Rookies. I watched a Biyomon help a bunch of Yokomon off the train when they reached the stop I was at. They needed help because the train was so busy," he said with a quiet laugh of his own. "The trains are actually these Digimon called Trailmon. They carry people and other Digimon all throughout the Digital World. But from the inside, you can't tell. They look like normal passenger trains. And there are Locomon too, but they only carry cargo."

"The trains are Digimon?" he exclaimed. "Wha... How? I've never known a Digimon to hold other creatures inside it."

"Oh yeah, all of the trains are Digimon. It's pretty wild. Just like Submarimon, though they can only carry one person at a time."

Ken couldn't help laughing. "Are there Planemon and Busmon, too?"

"No, not as far as I've seen," Ryo said, snickering. "But there could be a Carmon that I just don't know about. It's entirely possible."

Snuggling back in, Ken decided to seek to know more about the Digital World. Ryo was so knowledgable, and he'd promised to try. "So, Ryo... Are new Digimon still being born, or are the Digimon types that exist now all there's ever going to be?"

"There are lots of new speices coming to light. A lot of them are obviously off-shoot evolutions of Digimon that already exist. Like there's a new species of Palmon that I've been seeing around that has a black flower instead of a pink one. The changes start small like that, but eventually they branch off into new species and start changing more drastically. When Digimon reform as DigiEggs, all sorts of stuff could happen to change them and they could make new species."

"So if there wasn't a, I don't know... lemur Digimon now, there could be in the future if one evolves just right?"

"Yup," Ryo said, nodding his head. "It would probably take a long time, but it makes sense, doesn't it? Digimon started off with just a few very basic species, but now there's hundreds or maybe even thousands of different kinds. And they all developed like that over a very short period of time... Like, there's one Digimon, Gaomon, that didn't even exist until recently. They're still pretty rare, but there's enough of them that they're considered a new species. And before they existed, there weren't any blue Akita Digimon that boxed, and now there are."

Ken breathed in admirable passion. "You know so much..."

"I guess I do," Ryo said, shrugging his shoulders. "I suppose I should, having lived here so long... It's just sort of sad that if I ever went back to the real world, all of this knowledge would be pretty pointless."

"But it wouldn't!" Ken insisted. "Ryo, you would be so valuable back in the real world!"

"How?" Ryo asked, looking down.

"Because the two worlds are joined now." Ken sat up a little, which meant he wasn't as close, but he was looking right into Ryo's eyes. "When we defeated MaloMyotismon, the worlds were bridged. People know all about the Digital World now. It's like... The new space race!"

Ryo knitted his eyebrows together, looking confused. "R-Really?" he asked surprisedly. "Everyone? In the other dimension, it was this gigantic secret..."

Ken smiled excitedly. "Ryo, there are chosen children all over the world. I even went to Mexico to meet a few of them. It's a world wide phenomenom! People everywhere are trying to research it and find out more. You'd be the golden goose!"

"Oh... Th-that's amazing," Ryo breathed, looking completely blindsided by the news. Just like Ken's amazement at the Digital World, Ryo seemed dumfounded to know that the real world was aware of the Digital World now. When he first left, nobody else knew. There wasn't even a team of Digidestined back then. "Do you think I'd adjust well, Ken?"

Ken found Ryo's hand inside the pelt. "I do think it would take you a little while to adjust to what's new, to the advances our world has to offer, but you would still fit in just fine. I guarantee it."

Ryo couldn't help squeezing Ken's hand slightly. It just comforted him, even if he meant nothing by it. Holding Ken's hand was like feeling the security of youth that he hadn't felt for a very long time. "If you think so, Ken... maybe I'll consider giving it a shot."

"I would certainly love having you around," Ken said. "And I suppose... The good news is the Digital World will still be here for you to go back to if you don't like the real world." His voice was quiet. "At least now your parents would believe where you've been this whole time."

"When I first left... for the Digital World... I was told that I could be here for years and years, and it would only seem like months in the real world. That's... not true anymore, is it?" Ken was only silent as he shook his head. Ryo let out a long breath. "So... my parents have thought I've been gone for... how many years?"

"Eight years..."

Ryo was quiet, looking down at the DigiEgg in his lap. He rubbed it gently, frowning to himself before letting out a long sigh. "I shouldn't have put them through that."

"You didn't mean to, Ryo," Ken said, trying to be comforting. "As far as you knew, time was moving differently. Besides, we both know I'm the one who sent you running into the tournament. We can sit here and blame ourselves or... or you can look forward to seeing them again one day. They're going to be so happy to see you, I bet they won't even care about the how or why you were gone."

Ryo smiled slightly. He looked at the ocean for a few moments, silent. But then he suddenly turned on Ken, wrapped his arms around his neck, and turned one hand into a fist to noogie the younger boy. "Look at you, you're being positive!" he laughed praisingly.

Ken laughed and squealed slightly, trying to wedge himself free from the noogie hold. "Ah! Ryo, no!" he laughed. Of course, Ken _had_ been positive and he would admit it was worth a little celebrating. Ryo had been pushing for it for long enough.

Ryo laughed loudly and in a mockingly evil tone as he noogied the younger boy. It was such a light-hearted, carefree thing. It brought a feeling to his body that he hadn't felt in ages, and it felt wonderful. When it seemed like Ken had almost wriggled free, Ryo released his fist and rewrapped his arms around the boy, pulling him close and smoothing down the hair he'd messed up. "Thank you, Ken," he murmured as he buried his head in Ken's shoulder.

Indigo eyes widened just a little. The mood seemed to change full circle just now, but he didn't much mind. Ken wasn't sure what he'd done for Ryo either, but he knew whatever it was, it meant a lot to this other boy. "You're welcome," he replied, wrapping his arms around Ryo.

Ryo eventually fell asleep against Ken, and they waited out the rainstorm until morning. Once the sun came up, the downpour ceased, and they were back on track. Even though Vikemon's fur was soaked, putting the pelt back on his back yeilded a warm place for the group to sit as Vikemon continued on his way. New life seemed to have sprung into his veins, however, and Ryo's prediction of needing one more stop before they reached File Island was blown out of the water when Wormmon yelled from atop Vikemon's head, "We're almost there! I see it!"

Ken was on his feet, hand over his eyes to shield the sun. "Me too! I see the beach and..." He squinted slightly. "A mountain I think. Maybe a cliff."

Ryo jumped up onto Vikemon's shoulder to look at the island as they approached. "Oh, I know that! That's Overdell! It is File Island!" He laughed as they got closer, and nodded his head, confirming his guess as to where they were landing. "There's a mansion at the top of that cliff where we can stay. It will probably take the rest of the day to get up there, since we need to go around the canyon.

"If you guys don't mind, I'm going to part with you here," Vikemon said. "I'm going to take the long way around. I'm not one for climbing through canyons."

"That's all right. You've certainly done more than enough for us already," Ken said and pat Vikemon on the back. "Thank you so much for carrying us all this way. You really helped us out."

"You guys helped me, too. Gave me a reason to swim all this way..." Vikemon murmured. "I might have missed it."

"Your son is gonna hatch in Primary Village, right, Vikemon?" Ryo asked from his shoulder.

"Yup." Vikemon slowly ambled onto shore, and Ryo jumped down off of his shoulder while the rest of them alighted down the large Digimon's arm. "I'll be on my way, then. Good luck to you all." Vikemon then turned back into the sea, and began his trek to swim around to a side of the island that would be easier for him to traverse. Ken got one of those girly 'awww' looks on his face when Ryo mentioned Vikemon having a son. It was so dedicated to swim the ocean for your child. Even after Vikemon swam away, Ken was still standing there and blushing, looking like he was going to melt and burst at the same time.

Ryo glanced over at Ken and laughed quietly. "His son, Gomamon, used to live on Directory, but he got sick from the cold and Vikemon swam him all the way back here so his egg could be raised in a warmer climate. Vikemon was considering not coming back here because he figured his son would be happier just living on File Island... But I think he'll be glad he came."

"Of course! Parents love their babies!" Ken insisted, his hands now clasped together.

Ryo laughed, nodding his head. "Yeah, they do. Vikemon acts tough, but he's a big softie at heart. Sorta like you, Cyberdramon," he said, which got him a growl from the Digimon, but Ryo just laughed.

Ken wasn't so sure 'softie' was the right word, but he did suppose Cyberdramon had a kinder side to him not usually seen. He looked around observing the beach and the large incline ahead of them. "So where to now? Do we go around?"

"If we go through this way, the cliff splits and there's a canyon where we can go up, rather than scaling the cliff," Ryo explained. He started to lead the way, Cyberdramon scouting ahead of them to make sure everything was safe as Ken and Wormmon followed close behind. "It's a pretty long walk, but we should get up to the top by the time the sun starts to go down."

"Is there any cover up there?" Ken asked. He walked quickly enough to stay with Ryo, but slowly enough that Wormmon didn't get left behind. "I was never really on this part of the island before."

"Don't worry, this area is pretty deserted. So long as we don't cross over to the other side of the canyon, we'll probably only see a few Goblimon and maybe a DarkRizamon," Ryo said. "Besides, with Cyberdramon running ahead, there probably won't be much that can take us by surprise. So long as there are no Ogremon running through the canyon."

Ken shivered slightly. "I saw an Ogremon once. He was really... intimidating."

"They can be, but not all of them are mean. Even if one attacked us with a group of Goburimon with them, Wormmon and Cyberdramon would be more than a match for them."

"That's good," he sighed. The trek was relatively easy at first, but as the canyon continued up, the path began to narrow. Ken eventually had to pick Wormmon up, even if it was just to feel better about the little bug not falling off. Cracking and shifting in the rock could be heard around and above them sometimes. Ken would look up to see small debris falling from the next level up.

Ryo bit his lip as they started to get closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. "I think this path has been eroded slightly since I was here last..." he said nervously as he pressed his back against the side of the canyon.

Ken swallowed and nodded. "Maybe Stingmon should carry us the rest of the way."

"You up for it, Wormmon?"

"I-I don't know if I can just..." Wormmon started, looking down into the canyon.

"Will you try?" Ken asked gently. "If you can't then maybe we'll try for Quetzalmon again." The boy smiled. "Just do your best, okay?"

"O-Okay, I'll try, Ken," Wormmon murmured. For a while nothing happened. Suddenly, the rock began to crackle under them, and Ken let out a gasp as the rock fell away. There was screaming from the two boys for only an instant before Quetzalmon was rising up out of the canyon with the two of them clinging to his forest green mane.

Laughter from both nerves and excitement could be heard coming from Ken. "H-Hey! You did it!" he called over the sound of the wind. The boy gasped again as Quetzalmon climbed even further into the air. Wormmon loved flying, so it was to be expected. Excitement got the better of the Digimon and the white dragon plunged down, swooping effortlessly through the narrows of the canyon. He made a sharp vertical turn, zipping up the side of the cliff and high into the sky where he spiraled and looped gracefully.

"Quetzalmon! Quetzalmon, slow down!" Ryo yelled. "We're going too high up!" The boy suddenly let out a cry when his grip on Quetzalmon's mane loosened and he started to drop down towards the waiting cliff's face below.

"Ryo!" Ken at once reached out with one hand to grab Ryo's, his other making a tight grip on the green fur. When he caught the other boy, the weight and speed made his arm jerk, making him cry out and pull roughly on the mane. "Quetzalmon, land, please!" Quetzalmon's eyes went wide, and he at once started to descend towards the ground. The sudden sharp downwards turn ripped Ryo's hand out of Ken's, and sent him sailing towards the ground again. Quetzalmon dove to try and catch him, only for Cyberdramon to fly above him and catch the boy sooner.

Indigo eyes were watching in wide struck horror as Ryo flailed helplessly through the air. He found that he'd been holding his breath as Quetzalmon dove for the other boy, and let out a huge sigh when Cyberdramon caught him first. Once on the ground, Ken immediatley jumped off his Digimon's back and over to Ryo. "Ryo! Ryo, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine. Wow, that sure does wake you up," he laughed, almost as if the major falls had been nothing but a head rush. He shook his head, blinking quickly, and clapped his hands together. "How about you guys, Ken? You alright?"

Ken was giving Ryo a funny look. Personally, he'd be all shaken up after something like that, but Ryo seemed fine and dandy. "Yeah, I'm okay. My shoulder hurts a little, but other than that..." He turned and trotted back to his Digimon. "Queztalmon, you okay, too?"

"Yes, I'm fine... I'm sorry," Quetzalmon said, his wings drooping guiltily.

"Oh, Quetzalmon..." Ken stepped forward, pressing his body against his Digimon's plated snout and wrapping his arms around its head. "You were just having fun. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Still, I-I need to learn to be more careful with this form... Maybe letting me use it too much isn't a good idea."

"Maybe we'll keep it reserved for just having fun, how about that?" Ken asked, still with his kind and gentle smile.

"Either that or I'll need to get some practice," Quetzalmon said with a quiet laugh. Suddenly he began to glow and devolved back into Wormmon, falling into Ken's arms. "I'll have to work on that, too..."

"You did great. Would you like me to carry you, or do you still want to walk?" he asked.

"I can walk," Wormmon said.

"No need," Ryo interjected, turning their attention towards the other side of the plateu. The large, gothic-style mansion loomed over them. Two floors, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. "We're here!"

A deep sense of unease washed over Ken at the sight of the mansion. There were actually dark grey clouds gathered over the property, even when the sky was perfectly blue everywhere else. "Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Ken asked as he set Wormmon down anyway. He knew his Digimon liked the independence where he could get it. "I feel like Madeline Usher is going to crawl out of the basement and then this whole place will just sink into the ground."

"Nah," Ryo said, waving his hand. "There's some Bakemon floating around, but nothing to seriously worry about." He and Cyberdramon began to walk inside, pulling open the gate with a loud creak. There was a packed cemetary on the dead lawn leading up to the mansion, but it didn't seem to phase Ryo at all.

Ken stood at the gate. He could feel a cold air seeping from the property. In fact, he was almost sure he could see his breath. "Ryo... I'm not really sure we should be here..."

"I've stayed here before, Ken," Ryo said, turning around with a confused look on his face. "What's the matter?"

"This place... doesn't feel right..."

"Ken, it's alright," Ryo insisted. "Plus, we'll get to sleep in real beds." Ken stepped inside only to have an icy chill run up his spine. He hated it here. He did. He really did. But Ken didn't want to start complaining and drive Ryo away. So he just took one step after the other. While trying to avoid grave stones, Ken managed to trip on one that had fallen and broken. A small cry sounded his fall, but two strong arms were suddenly there to catch him. Ryo seemed surprised when he caught Ken, like he was unsure as to why the boy had tripped. After all, Ryo was treating the walk up to the spooky mansion like a lovely trip through the park. "You alright?" he asked regardless, smiling as he tried to help Ken to his feet.

Keeping himself pressed up against Ryo's body was the only way Ken could compose himself. Finally he looked up. His eyes screamed of how unsure he still was about all of this, but he nodded against that. "I'm fine. Thank you." Ken drew away after a moment and followed Ryo the rest of the way inside.

The mansion seemed old, but well kept. The spooky atmosphere was lifted only a little bit by a chandelier hanging in the foyer. Ryo seemed to know the way, and led the way up a winding staircase to their destination. It was a room off the main corridor of the upstairs. There was a huge bed inside. It had wine red sheets and black curtains covering three of it's sides, the last one pulled open to show the neatly made covers and the luxurious black and red satin pillows. "Awesome," Ryo laughed, running towards the bed and flopping onto it with his hands behind his head.

Now this just couldn't be right. Ken stood in the door of the bedroom, hands crossing and holding his arms. "Ryo, someone lives here," he said instead of asked.

"I know," Ryo said, sitting upright again. "But I've stayed here tons of times and he doesn't have a problem with it."

One finely shaped eyebrow went up. "Who is 'he'?"

"Myotismon," Ryo answered. "He sleeps during the day, so he doesn't care if we stay in here at night."

"Myotismon?" Ken practically shrieked. "Ryo, we can't be here! He'll kill us! Don't you know how evil he is?"

"Evil? He seemed like a pretty nice guy to me. You sure you're not thinking of some other Myotismon?"

"I-I-Isn't there only one?"

"No..." Ryo said, shaking his head. "There are a few. Sure, there aren't a ton of them, since he's an Ultimate, but... There's not only one. Why would there be?"

Now Ken was feeling a little sheepish. "I... don't know..."

"Ken, it's fine," Ryo insisted, standing up and walking over to the other boy. He grabbed his wrist and started to pull him towards the bed. "C'mon, lay down with me. Once you lay on this bed I guarentee you'll stop worrying."

Ken made an awkward noise like the strangled squawk of a parakeet. His face had started to turn very pink the closer he got to the bed, and the words 'lay down with me' repeating over and over in Ryo's voice going on in his head.

Thanks to Ken's flustered state, it didn't take long for Ryo to get him over to the bed. He grabbed his shoulders and spun him around like a waltz before letting him fall backwards onto the silky red sheets. Ryo then stood over him, grinning in a triumph he knew he'd soon have. "Comfy, right?"

His breath escaped as he was spun and then lightly pushed. The falling was almost like slow motion, though he didn't really know why it felt that way. Midnight colored hair looked almost black against the rich sheets, but there was still a dark violet shimmer in it here and there. Almost matching eyes blinked up at the other boy. Ken's pale skin slid over the silk like glass, the fabric rippling like water around his body. A sliver of pale skin was peeking out where his shirt had ridden up in the fall. Seeing Ryo standing over him with that look on his face gave way to a passionate fantasy that played through Ken's mind in a matter of seconds, though it fell like hours in his beating heart, so all he could breathe was a quiet, "Yeah..."

"Something wrong?" Ryo asked, as he started to remove his clothes to prepare for sleep. First his neckerchief, then his poncho, shoes, and socks, which he took off while keeping an eye on the other boy, searching for his response. "You sound a little dazed. Sorry I pushed you," he said quietly as he sat down next to Ken, and started to work on removing his armor.

"N-No, just..." What could he say? "Feels really good. The bed I mean. It's super nice." Super? Really? Good job.

"Yeah," Ryo agreed. Soon enough there was the click of metal as the armor came apart, and he placed it down on the floor where it was soon covered by his shirt. Comfortable, the boy slid back onto the mattress, and quirked an eyebrow at Ken. "You gonna get into your pajamas or what?"

Ken's eyes blinked back at Ryo. "I don't have any."

"Well yeah, I know, but are you going to sleep in the clothes you've been wearing all day?"

It wasn't so hot in the mansion. Ken was more self-conscious this time. Showing off any more skin than his arms felt... too vulnerable. "Wh-Why not? You're still wearing your pants."

"Huh? Yeah, guess I am," Ryo hummed, promptly undoing the button of the dusty brown pants and discarding them too, leaving him only in a pair of black boxer shorts. Was Ken's nose bleeding? Oh geez, _now_ it was getting warm in here. No... No, that was just him. Stop staring! Stop it! Boxers. Underpants. Under his pants. Underwear. Under there. Under there is... Ah, no! Are you still staring? Stop it! "Ken?" Ryo leaned towards the boy and snapped his fingers in front of his face. "You alright?" he asked. "What, do you need help?" he asked with a laugh, reaching towards the hem on Ken's sweater.

"Bathroom! Where? Bathroom?" Ken blurted awkwardly.

"Oh, uh, down the hall," Ryo said, pulling his hands back to point in the proper direction.

Ken jumped to his feet and ran out, stumbling and tripping over himself the whole way. Even worse was when he had to run back in front of the door because he'd gone the wrong way despite proper directions. The bathroom door was slammed shut as Ken leaned against it with his hands over the groin of his pants. "Don't do it... Don't do it..." he whined. Doing the only thing he knew how, and that was just from watching television, Ken stripped down bare and turned on the icy cold shower. He got under the water, at once losing his breath to the freezing temperature, and let himself be soaked in the numbing waters.

Ryo leaned forward to watch Ken rush off and gave out a long sigh before flopping back onto the bed. Cyberdramon watched his partner's behavior with a confused frown before ignoring him and going to curl up in the next room over. Wormmon gave the bed a knowing look and then inched off after Cyberdramon.


	7. On Wine Red Sheets

"Go down... Go away... Go down... Go away..." Ken was whimpering in the shower, curled up, shivering, and lips already a pale shade of blue. How long was this supposed to take? He was going to get sick if he kept going! Just when Ken's mind started to think of colds, flu, and pneumonia, he looked down and saw that everything was normal again. He sighed, relieved he could finally turn off the water and get dry. When Ken finally returned to the bedroom, he was sure Ryo was already asleep. His hair still dripped a little and his lips didn't have their full color, but we was dry and dressed again as he slipped quietly into bed.

The last curtain had already been drawn shut, so Ken had to open it in order to slide inside. Ryo was on his side, back to the boy. When Ken lay back against the sheets, there was a long silence in which the boy was allowed to just stare at the small square of the ceiling that he could see from within the large bed. Suddenly, the sheets rustled quietly, right when Ken's hair was starting to get dry. "Hey... Ken... you awake?"

Ken jumped a little, startled by the voice that broke the silence. "Yeah... You?" It was dumb.

Ryo snickered gently. "I think so," he said, turning over onto his side in order to face Ken. "Unless you're going to tell me that this is a dream."

"No..." Ken shook his head. "My dreams are never this real."

"Mine are," Ryo murmured. "When I dream, I wake up wondering if they really happened. And there's one that I keep having..."

"Do you... want to talk about it?"

Ryo was silent for a few moments. He was contentedly veiled in the darkness of the curtains, and he felt it allowed him the pause to think. "I keep thinking about the first day you came here."

Ken frowned. "When we were little?"

"No," Ryo said, shaking his head. "The first day... this time."

"O-Oh..." Ken remained motionless on his back, still staring at that square of ceiling. "What about it? Nothing really all that significant happened."

Ryo fell quiet again, thinking about how he was going to form his sentence. He let out a long breath, running a hand back through his hair. Suddenly there was another rustling of sheets, and Ryo was next to Ken, propped up on his elbow. "I keep thinking about this part," Ryo murmured, before leaning down and kissing him. There came a small sound when their lips met. The kiss was what Ken had been waiting for since the day he'd arrived, and now that it was happening, Ken was still just lying there. One hand raised to let his fingertips brush Ryo's cheek, but that was all. Ken still felt like he was walking on egg shells. Like he had to be super careful about not pushing boundaries and scaring Ryo off. Ryo pulled back after a moment. He was blushing terribly and his eyes were wide, perhaps embarrassed. "M-maybe it was just me, then," he said quietly, before quickly inching away and turning over onto his other side again.

"B-But it's not just you," Ken's soft voice said, breaking through the quiet of the room. "It definitely isn't just you. I… I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing. Was I supposed to reciprocate, which I was very ready to do, or was I supposed to let you make your own move? Like… Like feeding a rabbit. I had to let you come to me, but still not doing anything or else risk scaring you off. Maybe it was dumb."

There was another silence, and Ryo slowly turned onto his back, and then his other side to look at Ken again. "So…" he started, sounding rather unsure of himself. "Is it still okay, then?" He inched closer again. "C-can I do it again?"

"Y-Yeah…" Ken replied, nodding his head. "You…" he smiled, "You can do it again as many times as you want, Ryo. I won't complain…"

"But will you like it?" Ryo asked quietly, leaning in and leaving a gentle peck on Ken's paler lips.

Ken puckered his lips just slightly this time, making them a little fuller for the contact. "Of course, that's why I'm not complaining," he said. "But, Ryo… I thought you liked Rika. You spoke so fondly of her. I mean… I'm so happy this is happening right now, but… You know me. I have to be sure things are okay."

"I know, I do," Ryo murmured quietly as he pulled back before giving Ken another peck. "But… I can't get the first time you kissed me off my mind. I have to see. Is… that alright?"

Now Ken hesitated. Was he…? No, no Ken couldn't let himself be offended. Being an experiment wasn't a bad thing. People needed to experiment to find out what they liked. If he was lucky… Ryo would find out he liked Ken more than Rika. So, Ken resolved to a nod and a blush. "It's all right, yes."

"O-okay." Ryo still sounded unsure of himself, but he was determined to figure out just why exactly that one moment had kept coming back to his mind. He got up onto his hands and knees, turning Ken back onto his back with a gentle push of his shoulder. He leaned in for another kiss, but not one of his flighty pecks. It was a deeper one, like the first, which slid Ryo's blue eyes shut and made him blush. Deciding that now was the time to indulge, especially since Ryo wanted to know what it was all about, Ken hummed softly into the kiss as his arms wrapped around Ryo's neck. Even his fingers brushed through the hairs on the back of the other boy's neck. Ken pushed back up into the kiss, bringing Ryo in as deep as he could. Besides, he might as well enjoy it while he could. Ryo made an awkward sound, still not quite sure what he was supposed to be doing. It was embarrassing for him to think about, but he was nearing his twentieth birthday and he'd never even had a normal first kiss before this little adventure. His hands rested on either side of Ken's torso, pressing into the deep red sheets, and he shuffled his hips over Ken's with his knees. He pulled back after a few moments, and murmured, "You're uh… going to have to t-tell me what to do…"

"Well…" Ken licked his lips as he peered up at Ryo. "Do you even like what you're trying? That comes first."

"Y-yeah, I think so… I mean," Ryo sighed embarrassedly, touching his own face. "I-I'm blushing like crazy and my heart's hammering. But… there's got to be more to it than this, r-right?"

Ken smiled gently. "Yes and no. Those are definitely physical signs of infatuation. Sort of like a shy passion. Plus, you don't look like you feel sick, so that's also a plus. As for what to do… It's all about following what you feel. If all you feel like doing is kissing, then, well… That's all we do until you feel something else."

"B-but…" Ryo said, frowning cutely. "I don't know what else there is to do."

"To be honest… I don't know i-if I'm ready to do the other stuff. As innocent as it might be for other people, I guess maybe I'm the scared rabbit here, not you."

"Then…" Ryo leaned down and gave Ken another short peck, but straightened back up looking a little disappointed. "I-I guess that's it, then."

Ken felt his chest tighten. No! No, he didn't want Ryo to move away! What could he do? What would make Ryo stay close? They had to establish more contact. Ryo might lose interest and give up without incentive. "Hold me!" Ken suddenly exclaimed, but then got very quiet. "Y-You can… hold me…"

"Hold?" Ryo asked. He swallowed slightly before nodding, sitting upright and pulling Ken up with him. He brought him close to his chest, wrapping his arms around Ken's back and putting his head on the other boy's shoulder. They sat there sort of awkwardly for a few moments. Ryo's blue eyes kept glancing at the small sliver of skin that was exposed between Ken's shirt and the edge of his hair. He knew he was breathing hot air over it because of their proximity. He swallowed again before leaning closely and kissing lightly at the small bit of skin.

Ken gasped and his own arms at once wrapped around Ryo's waist. He buried his pale face in Ryo's neck where he whimpered slightly into the mocha skin. There was the strong urge to reach back and let his hair down to cover that spot, but another warm kiss made him reconsider. Ken just paused now, allowing himself to feel Ryo's timid gestures. His own lips would pout and leave a kiss on Ryo's neck. One given for each he received himself.

Ryo meanwhile was resisting the urge to pull his shoulder up to cover the sensitive skin. He gasped quietly and even shivered a bit when Ken's lips touched his skin. It was such a new feeling to a body that should have been so used to it by his age. He felt a little silly, unable to take the reigns and take command, relying on the younger boy for guidance in something that his age should have made him more experienced at. Ryo went for another kiss, mouth open, when Ken both kissed at a sensitive spot on his neck and raked his fingers over Ryo's back. The boy gasped and accidentally bit a little at Ken's neck. "O-oh, sorry!" he gasped, pulling back suddenly.

"No! No… It was my fault." Ken touched his neck. There was no blood or anything, so he decided not to worry. "I didn't even think about the scars on your back. I should have known. I'm sorry, Ryo."

"N-no, it wasn't the scars. They don't bother me," Ryo said. "It's just… y-you touching me, I think…" he said sheepishly.

Indigo eyes widened almost knowingly. "Did it happen to you, too?"

"D-did what happen?" Ryo asked unsurely.

"You know… One person gets privately excited about another and…" Ken just held his index finger out horizontally before slowly raising it up. "You know…"

Ryo stared for a long while before he finally understood, and his face blushed a brilliant red. "Oh! That!" He cast his eyes to the side, and his knees suddenly drew inwards. "Um… well, th-that is…" He stopped for a moment. "Wait, too?"

Ken nodded sheepishly. "When I went to the bathroom, that's what had happened. I saw on television that a freezing shower makes it go away." His own deep blush was forming. "That's why I was so wet and cold when I came back. I was… making it go back down. I didn't want you to see, and, well… Think anything about me."

"M-maybe I should take a cold shower, then," Ryo murmured, his knees tilting further inward. "I just… i-it aches, you know?"

Ken nodded again. "The only other way is to, well… Touch it, a lot."

Ryo swallowed slightly, nodding his head. "I… I know that. I-I just… didn't know why it happened. I-I guess I understand now, though…"

"I guess… You must really like me," Ken said with a tiny smile. "Maybe in a strange way, but… That makes me happy."

"You grew up to be very pretty, Ken," Ryo murmured, wringing his hands together after pulling them back awkwardly. "I… didn't expect it. You really caught me off guard."

"Oh…" Ken looked down and blushed. "Th-Thank you, Ryo."

"Like, the hair and your skin and… and everything. I really didn't expect it." Ryo tore his hands away from one another to brush one back through Ken's long, soft raven-colored hair. "I don't know what you did, but…" He gasped for more words, but fell short. "Y-you must be popular back in the real world, h-huh?"

Ken was looking down in his lap again, but this time there was no smile or blush. He was frowning a little, maybe even looking lonely or like he was going to cry. "I'm not… actually… At all…"

"No?" Ryo asked. The blush started to drain from his face as well as he looked at the expression on Ken's face. "I'm… surprised."

"I fade into the background quite often back home. What you just said about me being pretty…" Ken touched a hand to his chest. "It fills me to bursting with joy."

"Well, I'm… sorry to hear that," Ryo said quietly, leaning over to kiss Ken on the cheek. "I, uh… I think you're very pretty." Again he reached his hands up to touch Ken's hair, and then to cup his face. He hadn't had contact like this in such a long time. To hear someone else's voice and feel someone else's touch, it was the simplest magic to him. Of course, it did help that he truly thought Ken had grown up to be very pretty. Almost feminine, but with a very masculine air about him.

Ken found himself leaning into the touch and smiling amorously. Ryo's hands were so warm. Davis' hands had been warm, too, but Ken was slowly realizing it wasn't the same kind of warmth. Davis had a physical warmth about him. Simple body heat one person had and shared with another. Ryo… Ryo had a doting warmth to him. It was a genial heat that spread out from his fingers and seeped in through Ken's flesh, flowing through him and making all the corners of his body feel cozy, safe, and adored. "I… I will let you see more," he offered. "If you want…"

"I'll, um… I'll take you up on that offer," Ryo said, laughing nervously. "I guess… I've already bared most everything," he mumbled embarrassedly, looking down and suddenly feeling like he should put all of his clothing back on if only to let Ken take them off. Shaking his head free of the thought, he reached his own hands downwards, eyeing Ken's expression for permission.

Ken nodded, giving quiet permission to his friend. Or whatever it was they were becoming. Though his arms had been bared by the lack of sleeves on his tank top, it was still different when the first came off. All the skin flowed seamlessly together. Ken's skin was milky moon white, or like vanilla cream, and was easily influenced by the blue and dark purple shadows around them. At the same time, the silver glow of the moon and stars creeping in through the breaks of the curtain also played on Ken's skin. The mix of light and dark accentuated all his tender, supple, gentle curves. Other than his pelvis and collarbone, there were no definite obstructions to his body. Ken's shoulders sloped almost elegantly downward into long, frail arms. There were two small petal pink buds on his sloping chest, which expanded when he inhaled and shrank to a vulnerable size again when the breath left him. Despite the boy's overall delicately thin appearance, his belly managed to curve just slightly in a healthy shape, accentuated of course by the little dip in the middle. Ken sat there staring back at Ryo with those big indigo eyes, patient and innocent.

Ryo knew he was staring, and tried consciously to move his ice blue eyes in a casual way. It was difficult to fight with a body part that just wanted to stare, however… and it was especially so if several body parts were vying for him to do it. It was dark and difficult to see, but Ryo could perfectly make out the outline of the other boy's figure. He was softly colored and looked oh so delicate, like some sort of porcelain doll. Ryo got on his hands and knees in order to get closer. "I don't really know what it means t-to want someone," he started in a hushed voice, as he planted a kiss on the boy's prominent collarbone. "B-but I know that I want… something. Something about you."

Ken hummed softly, in that little song bird way of his, and allowed his fingers to brush Ryo's neck as he was kissed. He wasn't sure what Ryo was talking about, but it sounded nice. "How do you want me?" the boy asked in a whisper. "If you want to love me and be loved by me, then you're already there…"

"I… I don't know," Ryo admitted quietly. "I have no idea what I want. I just… have this feeling. I know that I want you. I don't know how I'm supposed t-to have you, b-but I know that I want you." He breathed in and out quickly and deeply, his face looking like a lost, unsure puppy. "Does… that make… any sense at all?"

"I think it does," Ken replied in his kindest of voices; a voice that earned him his crest in the first place. "Come here…" he said and gently lured Ryo along. Against the pillows now, Ken again wrapped his arms around Ryo's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. It was a feathery meeting of lips at first, but then he pressed in deeper, pushing little by little until he ran his tongue over dark lips.

Ryo squirmed confusedly at first. He didn't know what Ken was doing, but he knew he should follow. Ken knew more about this. At least, Ryo assumed he did. The brunet leaned down closer into the kiss and did the same thing Ken did, running his tongue along more responsive lips. Ken's opened up, something Ryo hadn't known to do, and their tongues suddenly brushed together as they passed each other, and Ryo's voice finally bubbled up into the kiss as a moan.

Ken smiled around the kiss. He was pretty sure it was working. Ryo seemed to be liking it, at least. Hopefully it was a step in the right direction to help the other boy figure out his elusive 'want'. Ken coiled his tongue around Ryo's, drawing it into his mouth even further, inviting it in to play. Everything the pale boy was doing came from the secret books he kept hidden under his mattress. The secret books with boys much skinnier and prettier than himself who engaged in many passionate and sexual activities. Perhaps oddly, Ken had studied the books in hopes of learning what exactly he should be doing with his boyfriend. Once he got one. Something seemed to be missing. While Ken's fingers explored and touched Ryo's body, learning his scrapes and scars, those much larger hands were stiff on either side of his hips. "You can touch me, Ryo," he finally whispered when the kiss broke only for his chance at words. "Find out how much you like me."

Ryo started to pant when the kiss broke apart. The blush that had drained away from his face was back in full force. Ryo swallowed dryly, nodding his head before he swooped back into the kiss. His tongue slipped eagerly back into Ken's mouth as he figured out what he was going to do with his hands. One hand was leaned more heavily upon for balance as he lifted the other one off of the mattress. His head was reeling as he touched the curve of Ken's neck, and then followed the line of his collarbone, and then started to travel further downward, his palm coming to lay flat to cover more skin.

Ken shivered a little from nerves, but mostly in delight. Definitely delight. It made his breath quiver in his chest. The narrow expanse of creamy skin expanded sharply when Ryo's pinky brushed a pastel bud, at once making it hard. Ken squirmed as he tried to turn his chest away. He was suddenly embarrassed of a very natural reaction, all in fear of what Ryo might think.

Ryo seemed both confused and completely engulfed in every little sound and move Ken made. It was all so new, nerve-wracking… but also exciting. He watched Ken squirm and move and moved his hand back, his thumb gently pressing on the excited area.

"Ahh!" Ken's first moan between him and Ryo burst free. His shoulder arched and he buried his burning red face into it. Indigo eyes opened to look up at the darker figure looming over him. Those dark pools were already fogged with amateur lust. Ken's pale lips hung apart as he panted softly, his lips turning pink as well from the heat of his own breath.

Ryo was blushing as darkly as the wine red sheets below them. He felt like he might have been delving into territory that was too intense for him. He hesitated a moment, unsure of what to do next. Eventually, he decided to take it slow and not push his own boundaries, lest that unbearable ache make him run out of the bedroom like Ken had before. So his hands abandoned Ken's chest and he went back to frenching him, moving his hands instead to cup the back of Ken's head and pull him deeper into the kiss, tangling into his hair. It was where Ryo felt comfortable.

An internal sigh of relief was released when those hands left his chest. While Ken had been the one to suggest touching, he hadn't quite meant like that. He only meant they learn each other's shape. There would be plenty of time for that later, though. Right now he was just as comfortable being cradled in Ryo's hands and kissed with such blossoming passion.

Eventually, Ryo pulled back. It was much later, after what felt like hours of hesitant touching and passionate kissing, seesawing thanks to the boy's curious but cautious nature about what was happening. When Ryo finally lifted himself off of Ken, he was blushing and panting hard, but he'd reached his limit. He rolled off of Ken onto his back, putting his hand on his chest as he tried to steady his heartbeat.

Ken rolled onto his side so he could still see Ryo. His cheeks, ears, and even his shoulders had all blushed pink. Tiny beads of sweat sat upon his neck and the sides of his face, but that was all. "So…" the boy began with a small smile, "Did you get what you 'wanted?'"

"I think I'm starting to get an idea," Ryo said with a small, shy smile. "But, uh… now I want a shower," he said with a nervous laugh, sitting upright and inching towards the curtains.

"It's best if you clench your hands in front of your chest," Ken advised. "If you try holding your thighs or… it… it won't go away. At least… That's my experience."

"A-alright," Ryo said, nodding his head before quietly slipping out of the bed, closing the curtains behind him. He was gone for an awfully long time. When he finally returned, he tried to get back into the bed as quietly as he could. In the dark, he didn't notice that steam was still rising off of his body.

Ken didn't wait as long to break the silence as Ryo had before, when there roles in this scene were reversed. "You didn't take a cold one?"

"What?" Ryo asked, seemingly surprised that Ken had noticed. "I uh… no… I, um, didn't have to," he said, ending his sentence with a nervous laugh.

Ken just stared back innocently. He didn't know what Ryo meant by that. A pale, slender hand reached out to touch freshly washed, warm skin. "I'm cold by myself…"

Ryo swallowed nervously, but inched over to Ken anyway. He pulled the covers out from under them in order to tuck them both under them, and wrapped his arms around Ken, pulling him up to his chest. "Um… g'night, Ken."

Ken snuggled in close. He inhaled Ryo's clean, natural smell and smiled. "Goodnight, Ryo."


	8. Beating

Ryo woke Ken up early the next morning. He leaned in closely to the boy's ear and started to whisper for his attention. "Ken… Ken… Ken, c'mon, we've gotta get moving."

A tiny, nearly disgruntled moan was heard first. Ken shifted and blinked one eye open. It still seemed rather dark, or maybe that was just the black curtains hanging around the bed. "Is the sun even up yet?" he mumbled.

"It should be just coming up now. That's our sign to get out of here," Ryo said, sitting up and pulling Ken in his arms with him.

"Wha-Why?" Ken asked and rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Can't we have one more hour, Ryo, please?"

"It'll be better if we leave. Myotismon is probably getting ready to go to bed now, so he'll be here soon. I could probably talk to him if he does catch us and everything would be fine, but it'd be a lot easier if we just left now before he finds us."

The pale boy frowned. "I thought you said he was cool with it?" Despite his intense want to sleep another few hours, Ken started fumbling for his shirt and shoes.

"He was. But it's almost sunrise, so it's really late for him. He'll be all tired and cranky." Ryo started to gather and throw on his clothing as well. He just stuffed his armor into an open pocket of his poncho. He'd put it on when he got outside. "Better safe than sorry."

"I guess… But isn't there another room we can sleep in? Cyberdramon and Wormmon must be sleeping somewhere, too, right?" he asked as he followed Ryo out into the hall.

"They're in the adjoining room," Ryo explained. Cyberdramon and Wormmon emerged from the room next to theirs, having heard the two boys talking and moving about. "Now, let's move, guys," Ryo said, waving his hand and heading for the stairs. "Myotismon… he can ask for some weird things in exchange for staying here. We should just get out as quickly as we can, so we don't have to, uh… pay."

Ken picked up on that cue better than he had just about anything else since he got here. In two seconds flat he'd scooped Wormmon up into his arms and run out of the mansion as fast as he could. He wouldn't be going through that. Not again. "Let's go! Let's go!" he called from out in the graveyard, jumping anxiously.

Ryo's eyes widened when Ken suddenly bolted out of the door, and laughed nervously, scratching at the back of his head as he and Cyberdramon jogged out after him. "Wow, that got you moving," Ryo laughed as he joined Ken in the graveyard outside.

"It's not funny!" Ken yelled. He was actually clutching Wormmon to his chest. "It's never funny."

Wormmon looked confusedly up at Ken, as did Ryo. "What do you mean, Ken? What do you think I meant?"

Ken looked nervously at all three persons who were now staring at him. A shake of his head was the only answer he gave. "So which way are we supposed to go now? That egg could hatch any day."

"Right…" Ryo murmured, looking confused by Ken's behavior and taking the DigiEgg from Cyberdramon. "Well, we're certainly not going to go off the side of the cliff. So we've only got one way to go," Ryo said, pointing towards the center of the island. He started to lead the way, Cyberdramon giving Ken an odd, though eyeless look before he followed after his partner.

"I don't think I really deserved that," Ken mumbled after Cyberdramon passed him. "What does he know about anything anyway?" The boy rolled his shoulders back before walking behind the others.

"He knows as much as Ryo knows, Ken," Wormmon said, looking up at his partner. "He just can't talk about it." He turned around in his boy's arms, putting his claws on Ken's chest. "Did you have a good night's sleep, Ken?"

The question brought a smile to Ken's lips and a blush to his cheeks. "I did, Wormmon. I really, really did."

"I'm glad to hear it, Ken," Wormmon said. He laughed slightly, spotting his partner's blush, and leaned back in his arms, turning his eyes back on the path they were traveling, and Ryo and Cyberdramon ahead of them. "It's good that you're getting what you came here for."

"I just hope I keep getting it," Ken replied with a nod. "I think… last night might have just been an experiment for Ryo. He says that he still likes Rika, a lot, but he wanted to try. I decided I was all right with that." He smiled down at his Digimon. "Hopefully, in the end, he'll choose me."

"You're doing a good job being patient with him, Ken," Wormmon said. He then waved his claws in the air like he was doing a cheer. "Besides, no ice queen can beat the bearer of the Crest of Kindness!"

"I would agree with that," Ken said with an amused laugh, mostly at how cute Wormmon was when he got excited and happy about something. "I may get Ryo pitching for the other team sooner than we think," he added with another laugh, even if his Digimon didn't quite get that one.

"Why don't you pitch, Ken?" Wormmon asked innocently.

Ken blushed brightly. "I-I… I'm not that kind of player, Wormmon, that's all."

"Well why not, Ken?" Wormmon asked, tugging on the front of Ken's shirt enthusiastically. "You'll never get him to play if you just put him up to pitch on his first try! You don't always have to be catcher, Ken. You'd do just fine as a pitcher. He needs you to be!"

"Wormmon!" Ken cried, his eyes now staring wide down at his Digimon. "Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Not really, but it's true, right?" Wormmon asked. He understood how the metaphor worked, just not what it was talking about.

"Well, not exactly. Pitchers a-and catchers are very sensitive positions. If someone assumes a position the other isn't expecting, you could actually ruin the game. Big time. To be honest, I'd rather wait to be pitched to than throw a weak and awkward ball myself."

"But if he's never played before, he wouldn't know the difference, would he?" Wormmon asked, antenna twitching. "Besides, how do you know you can't be a pitcher if you don't try?"

"Wormmon..." Ken sighed. It was so difficult trying to explain when he was too embarrassed to reveal what those terms meant. "If... If Ryo likes girls, then he's definitely a pitcher. You... You can't take someone else's place in a game. It..." Ken bit his lip. "It's rude."

"Have you asked him if that's true, Ken?" Wormmon continued, still looking innocently up at his partner. "You're just assuming that, right?"

Ken shook his head. "No! I... I know I'm right... I a-am..."

"You don't sound so sure, Ken..." Wormmon murmured, tapping his chin with a claw. "You should think about asking."

pale boy blushed and shook his head again. "I couldn't ask him that, Wormmon... I just couldn't..."

Wormmon frowned in that way of his, and then turned back to look at the boy and Digimon leading their way. "If you say so, Ken... I still think you should try."

"It just wouldn't be appropriate for me to ask him, either..." The group walked in silence together for maybe an hour. Off in the distance, Ken thought he heard a strange buzzing noise. He stopped in his tracks to look off into the trees where he thought the noise was coming from. Suddenly a giant insect came bursting out of the forest. Its body was like a wasp and bee together with a mane of orange feathers and acid purple wings.

It turned backwards in its flight and hissed, "Poison Powder!" Ken gasped when a toxic dust began billowing from its wings. He tried to run as the dust began to settle, but he inhaled it by mistake and fell to the ground in a painfully coughing fit. Another Digimon was then seen close on the insects tail. Ken thought it looked an awful lot like Angemon, only his robes were a deep fushia.

"Fire feather!" he called and countered with flaming feathers from his own wings. It seemed the two fighting Digimon hadn't even noticed the four travelers or the damage they were causing.

"Ken!" Wormmon gasped, rushing towards his partner, eyes wide as the coughing fit began.

"Whoah!" Ryo and Cyberdramon had jumped out of the way as soon as they heard the rustling of the trees, and watched with equally surprised expressions as the fight started. "Guys! Guys!" Ryo tried calling, but the two Digimon were so wrapped up in tearing each other apart that they didn't even notice that. "Cyberdramon," Ryo said, getting his Digimon's attention.

His D-Arc's screen suddenly lit up, and a female-sounding mechanical voice chimed, "Bio-Merge activated." In a flash of light the two had merged together into Justimon, who leapt into the battle to try and drag the Digimon off of each other.

Ken pushed up on his hands and knees, still coughing, and his eyes were red and a little puffy. When Piddomon felt a hand on his shoulder, his turned with his fist pulled back and ready to strike, but he paused. "Brother!" he declared in a noble voice. "You've come to my aid!" The Flymon was not as impressed and hissed at the two Vaccines.

"Two against one won't help you. I'll just take both of you down and be twice the victor!"

"Hold on!" Justimon demanded, getting between them and putting his hands up to stop them from going after each other. As a much higher level Digimon, it was easily accomplished. "What exactly are you two fighting about?"

"You don't know?" Piddomon asked curiously. He shook off the confusion quickly and stood straight. "If you are not participating in the cause, then you are not my Brother! Stand aside!"

Flymon was not so willing to talk, so he took advantage of the angel's distracted state. "Deadly Sting!" it said with a grin. Three stingers were launched from its abdomen. The first two missed, but the third was rewarded with a cry of pain from Piddomon. His gloved hands reached for the stinger that had pierced his chest, but his fingers were already pixelating. In another few seconds, his remains were carried off by the wind. Flymon just cackled. "You're next, Vaccine."

Justimon gasped as the split second attack suddenly left him alone. He turned on the Flymon. The half of his mind governed by Ryo wanted to try and negotiate while the half governed by Cyberdramon wanted to destroy him. "Don't make me hurt you," Justimon threatened, trying to hold back as his metal hand tranformed into a long, spear-like weapon. "Just tell me what's going on."

"If you don't know," Flymon hissed, "Then you earned this death. Deadly Sting!"

"Voltage Blade!" Justimon sliced through the stinger as if it was paper, sending it falling to the ground uselessly in two pieces. "Justice Kick!" he shouted next, performing a spinning kick that hit Flymon right in the chest, knocking him down to the ground as well. Justimon followed, standing on top of him and grabbing up a handful of the Digimon's mane. "Tell me what's going on!" he demanded a second time.

Back on the ground, Ken was struggling through his small bag, looking for another bottle of water. Tears stung his infected eyes and the coughing had yet to stop, making his chest feel tight and hot. "Why don't you go ask your commrades?" Flymon hissed angrily and fought to get free. "They started all of this!"

"I don't know what commrades you're talking about!" Justimon insisted. Cyberdramon was getting fed up with the Digimon and slammed his head into the ground, only for Ryo to pull it back up hastily and try to restrain attacking again. "Tell me!"

"It's the war," Flymon hissed. "War that will either end in The Cleansing or The Infection. I'll be damned if I let you cleanse me." With that, Flymon curled his tail toward himself. "Deadly Sting!" The voice that declared the attack was immediately silenced when the Digmon's skull was pierced from the bottom by its own attack.

Justimon gasped, leaping away from the Digimon as it started to pixelate and fade away. He stared for a moment, before shaking his head and rushing over to Ken. "Ken? Ken, are you alright?" he asked, kneeling down in front of the boy on one knee.

Ken held up the bag with shaking hands. He couldn't even get into it. "Wa-Wah... Haugh! Haug! Auh! Auh!" The word was caught off by more coughing and Ken just shook the bag. Justimon quickly started to root through the bag, trying to figure out what Ken wanted. Eventually he pulled out the bottle of water and offered it to the other boy. The cap was practically torn off the bottle and Ken was guzzling the water down. He even poured some of it into his eyes. When most of the poison had been washed from his throat, the boy was able to finally breathe and speak. "Th-Thank you..."

"Sorry," Justimon apologized. "I should have tended to you first."

Ken shook his head. "No, no, it's fine. I'm okay. It was just like breathing in a really spicy dust cloud... or something." Indigo eyes were still pretty red and swollen when they looked up at the armored Digimon. "What were they fighting about anyway?"

He looked back at the destruction the two now late Digimon had left in their path. "That Flymon said something about a war..." he murmured. "Between two factions called The Cleansing and The Infection."

Ken frowned. "Neither of those sound very good."

"They assumed I was a part of The Cleansing," Justimon murmured, offering his hand to Ken to help him up. "I have to wonder why..."

Ken took the offered hand and stood. "Cleansing sounds like a holy thing. You aren't a Holy Digimon... Are you?"

"No, I'm a Cyborg Digimon," Justimon said, shaking his head. Wormmon had gotten up on Ken's shoulder, watching his face concernedly.

The pale boy bit his lip. "Do you think the war is why that Megadramon attacked Time Village? What if..." His eyes widened. "What if that was a cleansing?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves assuming things," Justimon warned, as he moved over to where Cyberdramon had deposited the DigiEgg, picking it up in his arms again. "Let's try and focus on getting to Primary Village for now. If we can hatch Megadramon again, we can ask him what he was doing. After all, he'll be a baby, so he'll probably be much easier to get a calm answer out of than any Digimon we might find fighting out here."

"What if there are more Digimon fighting? It is a war, after all. Digimon could be getting into fights all over the place. We could seriously get hurt," Ken said warily. "I know we need to get to Primary Village, but... I'm a little afraid. Our Digimon _will_ tire eventually."

"There will be plenty of places for us to take shelter along the way," Justimon said. "Unless you'd like to move in to Myotismon's castle?"

Ken grew even paler. "N-No..."

"Then let's press on," Justimon said, laughing quietly. "We just started out this morning, after all. I suppose once Cyberdramon and I can't hold this form anymore we'll call it a day and find somewhere to spend the night."

"Okay." Ken picked up his bag and hung it on his empty shoulder. He also gave Wormmon a comforting pat on the head. "I'm fine now, Wormmon. My eyes should be back to normal by tomorrow morning. The good news is that they don't sting anymore."

"Good," Wormmon said, looking relieved.

They continued their journey towards the center of the island. They seemed to be walking down a very subtle slope, slowly leading them off of the cliff they had climbed up to the castle and down towards the mainland. Justimon led the way, keeping his form despite the battle and the walk. He only devolved as the sun started to go down, and he began to breathe heavily before finally splitting apart. "A-alright, we'll set up camp here," Ryo said, only then taking the time to look around and see exactly where 'here' was. They had just crossed a bridge, taking them out of the canyon and putting them onto the actual sands of the island. To one side was a chasm that they would follow in the morning to continue towards the center of the island, and to the other was a small circle of trees. Ryo poked his head through, only to grin and call to Ken excitedly, "Ken, c'mere! There's hot springs!"

Ken smiled excitedly. "Hot springs?" He ran over to join Ryo at the circle of trees. "Oh my God, it is! I haven't been to one of these in almost two years! The prices at home have gotten a little outrageous," he added as an afterthought. "Ohhh... A good, long hot soak would be so good right now."

"Well," Ryo looked around the area, and then up at Cyberdramon. The Digimon nodded silently and turned around, setting his eyes on the canyon. "Cyberdramon will keep watch, and there's a cave behind the trees where we can sleep. So we can stop here for the night and enjoy the springs." Ryo grinned excitedly as well, heading over to the cave to deposit his things.

"Y-You mean together?" Ken asked nervously as he passed through the trees and into the small clearing. "Maybe we should take turns. Give each other some privacy," he suggested. He joined Ryo in the cave, but all he set down was his bag. Not even his shoes came off.

"What's wrong with doing it together? Aren't most hot springs public in the real world? Or did that change?" Ryo asked, as he started to work on getting his armor off of his arm.

Ken shrugged shyly. "Well... Well sure they are. I just thought, you know..."

Ryo just gave Ken a confused look as he took off his armor, placing it beside the DigiEgg before moving on to unzipping his poncho. "I know what?"

Ken was blushing. "We won't have any clothes on."

"Yeah..." Ryo started, as he threw his poncho, gloves, neckerchief, and shirt all in a pile and started to take off his shoes. "That's the point. Are you shy, Ken?"

"Maybe... Maybe a little..."

"There's really nothing to be shy about, Ken," Ryo said with a frown as he leaned against the wall of the cave and took of his socks. "But if it makes you feel better, you can go after me. Cyberdramon will probably still be up keeping watch anyway."

"I'm just not..." Ken began to twirl a loose strand of hair around his finger. "I don't look that good without clothes on. My body is so skinny and pale. It's kinda... I dunno... Gross?"

Ryo raised an eyebrow, sort of smiling confusedly. "That's what you're worried about? Really Ken, it'll be fine." He took off his pants and threw them into the pile with the other things, starting to head for the spring while taking off the boxers he wore underneath. "Just come on and relax, don't worry about stuff like that." Bright red colored Ken's face. The first thing he noticed was how Ryo's mocha colored skin was consistent even under his boxers. No tan to be seen anywhere. Second, he noticed how some of the scarring even reached down to the top of the boy's buttocks, and it made Ken think how vulnerable Ryo must have been in those situations. The last thing he noticed, which probably would have made more sense to be the first, was how firm Ryo's backside was. There wasn't an inch of the tamer's body that wasn't toned to some extent. Ken watched the Adonis quality butt disappear below the water before he snapped back to reality and started taking off his own clothes. Albiet slowly and shyly. Ryo practically sunk into the water, letting out a contented sigh. He propped his elbows up onto the rock that made up the side of the pool and leaned his head back, closing his eyes as the water rose up around his chest. He quickly got comfortable, the water sizzling around him and steam rising like the water had just touched something hot.

A deep breath and closed eyes signaled Ken slipping out of his boxers. The boy had actually taken the time to fold his and the other boy's clothes, which Ryo would probably find anal upon finding them. Ken even let his hair down, letting the midnight colored locks fall to their natural length of about two inches past his shoulders. Another deep breath signaled his trek forward. Ken had his hands cupped over himself, a little ashamed of what could be found behind them. Having been kept hidden before, Ken's legs showed promise. His feet had a subtle arch with small toes, his calves curved delicately, and his quaintly supple thighs led up to somewhat wide set hips. "H-How's the water?" Ken asked nervously once he'd made it to the edge.

Ryo opened one eye, glancing over at the other boy. His blue eye travelled over the other boy rather quickly before he grinned and closed his eyes again. "It's great. Nice and hot. Not too deep, either."

"G-Good..." Ken had to gather up a bit of courage before getting in. He lowered his body slowly into the water, and it wasn't until he was submerged that his hands were drawn away. "Ohh... Oh wow, this _is_ nice."

"Told you," Ryo laughed quietly, nodding his head as he allowed himself to sink further into the water, letting it lap at the bottom of his chest. "File Island is one of the only places in the Digital World with hot springs. I only know of one other place, back on Directory."

"Is it near where you live?" Ken asked in innocent curiosity.

"No," Ryo said, shaking his head. "It's more south, in a desert area. There's a few Digimon that have tapped into the springs and turned them into baths down there. I stayed with a couple at one point who let me use them. They were really nice to me, but always fighting with each other."

Ken frowned a little. "That's too bad. Couples shouldn't fight."

"Oh no, it's not like that at all," Ryo said, opening his eye again. "They fought recreationally. They'd fight mercilessly, and then end the battle all lovey-dovey. And then they'd start again. I actually think it's what kept their relationship so strong," he said with a laugh. "Those two could bounce back from any arguement."

"That's..." Ken paused. "Interesting." Inhaling, Ken dipped below the water and emerged with wet hair. He came up only enough for his head, wanting to keep his shoulders wet and warm. "So nice," he sighed.

Ryo opened both eyes now, sort of quietly watching as Ken ducked under the surface. "Man..." he breathed, reaching his hand over and fingering one of Ken's long locks between his fingers. "You grew this out so long... I never would have thought you would," he murmured, only realizing how long it really was when it was wet.

Ken could feel Ryo's fingers moving against his hair. He'd always been quite sensitive to it, like an extension of himself. "Yes... At first it was only around my jaw and chin, but I got really attached to the look. Each year I tried wearing it a little longer, and I loved it. So... here it is. Long."

"I remember when it barely touched your ears," Ryo said with a laugh. "Probably because your mom cut it for you back then... I think it looks good this way, though," Ryo murmured, coiling the hair around one of his fingers. "You look grown up..."

"R-Really?" The boy blushed again, his cheeks a pretty pink. "Thank you, Ryo. I'm glad you like it. Really."

The water sizzled quietly as Ryo shifted a litle bit closer to the other boy. "I'm sort of embarrassed that I haven't made any big changes since you saw me last, except maybe a change in clothing," he said with another small laugh, running his fingers through Ken's hair again.

Ken shook his head. "You've made plenty of changes, Ryo. Although they might have been unintentional." Indigo eyes looked at the older boy beside him. "Your skin is darker, the scars are definitely new, and so is your build. You're far more muscular now than you were eight years ago. I'm still the same wirey build I was as a child. Trust me, though... There were changes. Nice changes."

Ryo listened with a surprised look about him. He looked at his own arm, looking at the muscles beneath the skin that may have actually gotten darker without him noticing. "I guess I don't... pay attention to how my look is changing," he murmured quietly. "Actually..." He touched his face as well. "I haven't looked at my reflection in a long time, either."

"Well," Ken touched the surface of the water with his index finger which caused a small ripple, "Why not look now? It won't be a perfect reflection, but it'll be something." The boy smiled. "Maybe you'll get to see what I see..."

Ryo swallowed slightly. He hesitated. "I-I don't know if that's such a good idea," he said, shaking his head. "It's been too long."

"C'mon, Ryo," Ken urged gently. "There's no way you won't like what you see. You've grown into a very handsome young man."

Ryo let out a long breath, watching the water fall still again. Once the ripples had stopped, he leaned over to look at his reflection. His blue eyes took in what he saw and widened slightly. The youthful roundness of his face was all but gone, replaced by chiseled cheeks and a strong jaw line. His eyes had gotten lighter in color, and he only then noticed that, untrimmed, his hair had crept down his neck slightly. There was also a very light scar running down from his bottom lip that he hadn't realized he'd gotten. He bit his lip, then frowned. "I look so old," he murmured.

Ken leaned forward as well so he could watch Ryo's face. "You've grown up," he said. "You're hardly old."

"Eight years can change you a lot... when you don't look at yourself during them," Ryo sighed, tearing his eyes away from his reflection to lean back against the side of the spring, still touching his face with one hand. "What time of year was it, Ken? Summer? Winter?"

"Late summer," Ken replied. He moved closer, draping one arm across Ryo's chest to hold the opposite shoulder, and rest his head on the dark chest as well. "I remember you used to tan so well during the summer. Looks like the sun finally kissed your skin for good. I like it..."

Ryo seemed too preoccupied with touching his face to hear Ken's kind words. He was doing math in his head. "If that's true, then... I'll be twenty years old soon. An adult."

"Ryo..." Ken turned his head up to look at the older boy. "You must have realized you were growing up. Time passes. We get older."

"Yes, but..." Ryo let out a breath, shaking his head. "It just... seems to go by so fast here. I didn't even realize how much time I'd spent here."

Ken was quiet, thinking. "Were you... just as surprised to see how old I had gotten? I was eight years old when you saw me last. I'm 16 now, Ryo. 16 years old. That's three years past the age of consent."

"I guess I expected it. No matter how old you are now, you were gonna look different. If it had been a year or ten years, there would have been a difference. You grow a lot when you're little. Me..." He turned to look at the boy with a strange expression on his face. It was one of quiet discontent. He wasn't on the verge of breaking down or freaking out, there just seemed to be a very disconnected air about him regarding the change he'd seen in his reflection. "I guess I was expecting to emerge from the Digital World... like I'd never been here at all."

"But then what would I do?" Ken asked.

"What would you do about what?" Ryo asked confusedly.

"If I was like this... And you were still twelve. How could I possibly try to..."

"Oh," Ryo murmured, laughing quietly and looking back at the water. "I guess that would be a problem, huh?"

Ken licked his lips. "Ryo, please don't regret growing up. With your years have come strength, intelligence, and so much capability. You are so handsome... The attractive boyish charm you used to possess has turned into a distinguished masculinity that, quite frankly... Takes my breath away."

Ryo was quiet for a few moments, watching the ripples of the water, and the steam rising from it. He took his hand away from his face and stared at the weather-worn skin of his palm. "Do you mean that, Ken?"

"Of course." Ken's cheeks were pink, but not from the heat of the springs. "I never say things I don't mean."

Ryo smiled slightly. He looked down at the boy leaning against his chest, and lifted one of his hands out of the water. He snaked it around Ken's back to brush back his hair, so Ryo could lean down and place a kiss on his forehead. "Thanks."

Ken smiled and mewled cutely with the kiss. "No need to thank me. I've had these feelings for a long time. I'm just grateful for the chance to finally say them."

"I... honestly never would have guessed, Ken," Ryo responded quietly. "I mean, you haven't seen me in such a long time."

"But that doesn't mean I forget about you... Stop thinking about you..."

"But what if I had changed completely?" Ryo asked. "What if my personality was nothing like it was eight years ago?"

"I think..." Ken locked eyes with Ryo. "I think I would love you anyway."

"I don't understand that," Ryo said, frowning gently. "If I was totally different... how could you possibly still love me? I wouldn't be the same person that you loved. That doesn't make sense..."

"Because Ryo is Ryo, no matter who Ryo is, and that's who I love."

Ryo looked away, his frown deepening. "I'm sorry Ken, but that doesn't sound like love to me."

"Well, how can I know if I would love you if you were different? I don't know who that Ryo would be. Maybe he wouldn't be a bad guy. Besides... You're still the same, so what does it matter?" Ken asked.

"I-it doesn't," Ryo said, shaking his head and putting his free hand upon it while his other slid to rest on Ken's shoulder. "It really doesn't, I just..." he sighed gently. "I'm just tired, I guess."

Instead of frowning like he normally might have, Ken smiled gently. "Sshhh... Don't think about things like that. Just relax. Just be..." Ken moved through the water, lifting one leg slightly so he could set it on the other side of Ryo, now effectively straddling the older boy's lap. "You're strong, you're handsome, and you're wise in your own right, Ryo. Be proud of who you've become, because you're a better man than most." With that, Ken laced his arms around Ryo's neck and rest his head on Ryo's chest, eyes closed.

"Ken..." Ryo looked surprised when Ken was suddenly on him. He listened to his words, and smiled again, until the boy pulled close. It was touching for a moment, but then the brunet shifted slightly. "U-uhm, Ken," he laughed quietly. "Th-thank you for saying all of that... but you're sorta..."

"Please..." Ken whispered. "I just want to sit here for a minute..."

"That's fine, you're just kinda sitting on..." Ryo started, a blush starting to creep onto his face.

"Mn..." Ken turned his head closer into Ryo's chest and moved his hips back a little.

"Thanks," Ryo murmured, letting out a long breath. He lifted his hand and held Ken's head, biting his lip slightly. They stayed like that for a while, the brunet's hand running down Ken's neck to his back. After some time, Ken started to feel pretty tired, but he hardly felt like leaving the safety of Ryo's lap or the warmth of the water. Instead, to try keeping himself awake, Ken started to kiss Ryo's collarbone. Ryo made a quiet noise, closing his eyes. He tilted his head back, pulling his chest out of the water a bit. "Ah, Ken..." he breathed, his hand trailing down Ken's back as the other touched his shoulder.

Ken left another feathery kiss. "What?" he asked, followed by another.

"N-Nothing." Ryo laughed nervously. "I was just... saying... Ken."

"Mmh..." Ken smiled a little. "Ryo..." he breathed and kissed upon a mocha skinned neck.

"Ahh..." Ryo's hips rose slightly, and he turned his head to the side slightly, opening up his neck. Ken continued to leave a trail of kisses from behind Ryo's ear all the way down to his chest. Soon more than just the water was making the pair feel warm under the collar. Both of Ken's hands gripped Ryo's shoulders as his lips sealed over the top of his collarbone and began to suckle the skin, making a red mark. Ryo gasped, his fingers scratching at the skin of Ken's back, his other hand running down the boy's spine as well to fold with the other at the smal of his back. "K-Ken," he groaned again, his blush darkening. "Ah..." The other boy was younger, but knew so much more. The simple sensation seemed to drive the older boy so much more crazy than Ken might've expected.

"Now you're mine," Ken whispered as he observed the mark he made. "I was the first..."

"Y-yeah, I guess you were..." Ryo breathed, looking surprised as the mark turned darker. He didn't even know what that was called.

Ken turned his head and offered his own pale skin. "You have to mark me now, Ryo." Ryo swallowed slightly, leaning toward the boy. He tilted his head to the side slightly, kissing at Ken's neck. He started to suck at the skin slowly, obviously inexperienced. He eventually pulled back to see a small mark. Not as big or dark as the one Ken had left on him, but it was still there. Ken's fingers touched the mark on his own skin. "It's called a hickey, or a love bite," he said. "Sometimes, couples make them on each other."

"I haven't heard of it," Ryo murmured quietly. "There's a lot you can teach me, Ken..."

The boy laughed softly and shook his head. "All I know is from naughty books," he confessed. "Who knows how much of that is actually true."

"You still know more than me," Ryo said, opening his big blue eyes again. "So you'll have to... uh..." He swallowed slightly, managing a nervous smile. "Lead the way."

"That all depends on where you want me to lead you to," Ken replied.

"I have no idea where we can go," Ryo breathed, looking a little disheartened at his own lack of experience.

Ken nodded. "Well... figuring each other out is always a good place to start. It's someplace still fairly close to home, and we can venture further out if we feel comfortable."

"Okay, so, how do we do that?" Ryo asked, his voice a little shakey. His hands ran up and down Ken's spine quickly again. "Your skin's so smooth..." he murmured, almost to himself.

Another comforting smile. "Just like that, Ryo." Ryo blushed, as if he hadn't expected Ken to hear. His moved his hands up to Ken's shoulders, feeling every inch of skin under his fingertips. Ken was so slight and slender. Ryo hadn't been sure what to expect when he thought about what Ken would grow into. Occasionally he'd caught himself imagining it, but it never quite looked like what Ken had really become. Ryo would never say it out loud, because it was probably not in good taste, but he hadn't been expecting Ken to be as feminine as he was. Maybe it was just the long hair, he thought, as his hands slid over the boy's shoulders to spread flat on his chest. "I can tell what you're thinking," Ken said quietly. "I've been mistaken for one before. A few times actually. I think I did it to myself. There was a time when I didn't eat or get out of bed... at all. It may have, I don't know... Had something to do with this." His own hands explored Ryo's toned chest, his slender fingers following the grooves and shapes of each scar. "Sometimes I daydream about being built more like, well... a boy."

Ryo started slightly when Ken called him out on what he was thinking, but calmed when he realized the boy wasn't mad. "Well, I don't know about all that, but... I think you look good, Ken. M-maybe it's just me, but I do. I just... never would have imagined it, that's all."

"Really?" Shimmering indigo eyes stared up at the tanned boy. "You mean it?"

"Yeah," Ryo breathed, laughing nervously. "Back then, I never would have imagined that you'd come back looking so... well, pretty."

Ken giggled cutely. "I think if anyone else had said that to me, I'd be upset." Slim hands started slipping down Ryo's sides. He could feel the riged muscles that had formed over large ribs. Sqaure hips spoke of a sturdy frame that would support any shape Ryo took on. Then, very carefully, those hands found their way to firm, tough thighs. "You run... a lot, don't you?"

Ryo gasped quietly when Ken touched his thighs, bringing them together slightly. "Y-yeah, I guess I do," Ryo said, nodding his head quickly. "I mean... there's a lot of stuff to run from out here," he said with another small laugh.

"I'm sure..." Ken smiled as his index finger traced the small trail of dark hairs on Ryo's lower stomach. "I really like these," he said with a smile.

"I-I'm glad," Ryo said nervously, lifting his hands to touch his still smooth face. "I didn't really grow much hair... I think they might have all gotten singed out or something."

"I don't have any hair at all," Ken said. "Not even down there like you." He looked up at Ryo with a funny wrinkle in his nose. "I'm glad you don't have facial hair. I think you'd look too much like a mountain lumber jack man."

Ryo laughed at that. "Well, you can thank MasterTyrannomon, then. I'm pretty sure my run in with him is why I don't have much body hair now. I'm just glad he didn't get my actual hair..." he murmured, running his hand back through the light brown locks.

"Mmmm, me too." Ken pushed up on his knees, brushed his fingers along the side of Ryo's head, and then buried his nose in it affectionately. Of course this effectively put his chest against Ryo's face. "Your hair smells like wet earth. It's great."

Ryo inhaled inwards sharply, eyes widening when Ken's chest was suddenly in his face. He lowered his eyes slightly, peering down the underside of Ken's body, and then quickly averted his eyes, red burning across his cheeks. "I-I, uh, never noticed that."

Ken giggled. "Well, you can't exactly smell your own head, can you?"

"I guess that's true," Ryo said, nodding just slightly. He caught himself staring again and again forced his eyes on the water.

"What about me?" Ken asked and turned his head down. "What does my hair smell like?"

"I haven't... uh..." Ryo lifted his head up just enough to bury his face into Ken's hair. He breathed in deeply, and then laughed quietly. "Lilac shampoo..."

Ken laughed a bit louder and pushed against Ryo's chest. "You're making that up!"

"Am not!" Ryo laughed, putting his hands up and grinning like a fox. "I swear, that's what it smells like! You sure you don't use lilac shampoo? 'Cuse that's what it smells like."

"Well... I do, but I didn't think my hair would still smell that much like it." Ken took some strands and sniffed them. "Huh..."

Ryo laughed, throwing his head back. "You'd be surprised!" he giggled. "Cyberdramon once crushed a peach on my head and I smelled like peaches for a week!"

"I suppose so." Ken pushed up again so he could smell Ryo's hair. He knew this was Ryo's natural scent, and it made him wonder what his own might be. Well trimmed nails began scratching at the back of Ryo's scalp. Ryo hummed quietly, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of Ken scratching his head. He actually started to push his head up into Ken's hand, smiling as the boy did it. "I love Wormmon," Ken said quietly as he continued to scratch Ryo's head. "But nothing compares to the companionship and contact of another flesh and blood human being."

"You're right," Ryo sighed quietly. "I think I almost forgot that... it's been far too long."

Ken turned his head down to whisper in Ryo's ear. "When is the last time you heard a heart beating, Ryo?"

"Almost every day, but... it's my own, echoing in my ears," Ryo said, swallowing dryly. Without saying a word, Ken leaned back, drawing Ryo's head forward carefully, and laying his ear against his chest. Ryo allowed himself to be pulled forward, and closed his eyes. He could hear Ken's heart loud and clear beating against his ribcage. The brunet listened for a moment before sinking into Ken's chest. The sound was so soothing, and yet, sort of exciting. Ken turned his head down again, this time causing his midnight colored locks to fall in a veil over Ryo's face. One hand held the back of the brunet's head while the other slowly stroked down his neck. Ken could have spoken, but he felt like his heart could say the words for him, and in a far more elegant way. "This is nice..." Ryo breathed after a while, wrapping his arms around Ken's back to pull him closer. "I'd like to... be able to hear this any time."

"It will always be here for you," Ken said softly. "You can listen to it anytime you want. It... would love to be heard, by someone who appreciates it."


	9. Primary Village

After their stay in the hot springs, Ryo seemed rejuvenated. Their trip to Primary Village saw him climbing rocks to look down the path, running ahead, and even beating down some Goburimon that tried to jump them without any help from his Digimon, who just sort of hung back holding the DigiEgg and watched like he was used to it. The canyon slowly turned to forest as they got closer to the center of the island, putting them into much more familiar territory. "Alright, just a little bit farther and we're there!" Ryo exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air when he recognized where they were.

Ken had been replenished by the hot springs as well, but he wasn't seen stopping trains and jumping whole buildings. Of course he was seen being far more capable in the little things, which meant he needed less help along the way. Watching Ryo run around like a super-powered mountain goat was a sight to see. Ken had flipped out when Ryo took on the Digimon by himself, but once again the older boy proved he was far more capable than the average human being. Ryo may have some regrets about being stuck in the Digital World for so long, but it had certainly done wonders for him. "Thank goodness," the pale boy sighed. "My feet are killing me."

"If your feet hurt, Ken, I could have evolved into something and carried you," Wormmon whined from his arms, looking up at the boy that was carrying him as Ryo took to using branches as stepping stones instead of just walking on the trail.

"Oh Wormmon," Ken chided while shaking his head, "That would be such a selfish waste of your power. I'm not that lazy. Besides, my feet don't hurt _that_ badly. I think I'm just eager to finally get to where we're going."

Wormmon whined slightly, lowering his antenna. Ryo suddenly dropped down from the branch in front of them, hanging upside-down in front of Ken. "I think he's just eager to try out another Armor form. Right, Wormmon?"

Ken gasped and jumped slightly when Ryo dropped down right in front of him. Seeing the other's face like that was a little strange and made the boy tilt his head. Only a moment later was Ken looking down at Wormmon and laughing gently. "Is that true, Wormmon?"

"W-well, I mean, it'd be nice," Wormmon stammered. Ryo laughed as he just as quickly flipped himself back up onto the branch.

"Thought so."

"I'm excited, okay?" Wormmon called.

Ken watched Ryo dash off through the trees. "I think Ryo's parents were a mountain goat and monkey..."

Wormmon started to laugh, shaking his head quickly. "No, I just think he might have lived with some for a while," he giggled.

"Regardless!" Ken exclaimed and looked down at the insect. "Let's see what we can do about that itch of yours." He set Wormmon down on the ground and pulled out his D-Terminal, flipping through its many options. "Armor... Armor... Armor..."

"Digi-Egg of Hope!" Ryo suggested from above. "The other ones wouldn't make very good steeds."

"It's not about me!" Ken called back. "Ah, here we go! I think you're going to like what the DigiEgg of Love has to offer, Wormmon." Ken selected the appropriate catalyst. "Digimental Up," he said and aimed.

"Wormmon Armor Digivolve to... Aurumon!" Wormmon Digivolved to a small, owl-like Digimon, flitting up into the trees as soon as his wings spread wide on either side of him. He had brown feathers except on his head, and armor on his legs and for his tail. He also had a helmet with the Crest of Love engraved upon it and infa-red goggles that sat over a tiny beak. "Look at you!" Ryo laughed as he came to stand on the branch next to him. "You look totally different. Wouldn't even guess he was an evolved form of Wormmon, huh?"

Ken was beaming proudly at his newly evolved Digimon. "Escpecially since owls eat bugs back in the real world," he said with a chuckle. "How does it feel, Wormmon?"

Aurumon looked at Ryo, then at Ken, and hooted amsuedly as the lenses on his goggles made a clicking sound, adjusting themselves. "I can see through anything!"

The pale boy blushed. "Worm- Aurumon, don't be naughty!" Ken called and wagged a finger at him.

"What?" Aurumon asked confusedly, which made Ryo start to crack up.

"I think you're the one with the dirty mind, not him!"

Ken made a plethora of flustered noises before walking briskly ahead of the others along the path. "I am no such thing!"

Aurumon and Ryo both laughed for a while before Ryo jumped down onto the ground and Aurumon took to soaring above them, dipping under and over low-hanging branches. "You're funny when you're embarrassed," Ryo snickered, coming up behind Ken and ruffling his hair. "I'm surprised you didn't cover your chest or something."

"My chest isn't what I need to hide. I'm not _really_ a girl, remember?" Ken asked with a smart grin.

"It just seemed like that would be your first reaction," Ryo said with his own smirk.

"Maybe I'm finally growing up," Ken said. "Hey, how's your side wound doing? I'm a little worried that all this flipping around is going to tear it back open."

"Nah, it's fine," Ryo said, waving his hand. "Check it out." He lifted his shirt up on one side to reveal the wound. There was a thin layer of skin forming over the thread that held it together. "I heal pretty quick. Few more days and you probably won't be able to even tell it was there."

"Ryo!" Ken exclaimed, alarmed. "You can't let it do that!"

"Huh?" Ryo asked, raising his eyebrows. "I do that all the time, what's the problem?"

Ken shook his head. "No. No. No!" He grabbed Ryo's arm and pulled him down to sit on the ground. "This is only a nylon thread! It won't absorb into your body, so you can't just let your skin grow over the stitches like that. You have to take them out!" Wide eyes looked up into the older boy's face. "How many times have you let this happen in the past?"

"I don't know, three, four?" Ryo said, looking confused as Ken pulled him onto the ground. "Is it really that big of a deal?"

"The nylon can cause a serious infection, Ryo!" Ken began unzipping all the pockets on Ryo's poncho in search of the needle he'd used to sew the wound in the first place. "Nylon is not a naturally occurring element in the human body. As new skin grows over, the thread gets drawn deeper into your body. It could eventually get into your muscles or even your organs. Did you ever get sick after a set of stitches healed over?"

"Maybe? I don't remember, Ken." Ryo seemed oddly calm in the face of the news, scratching his head as he watched Ken rifle around in his pockets. "I've lived, I'm sure it'll be fine this time too."

Ken frowned. "Russian Roulette is only a game that Death can win, Ryo." He found the needle he was looking for and at once set to work unlacing the thread from the now healed wound. Since the skin was growing over the stitches, that meant it was plenty healed to keep itself closed. "Just... Don't go doing any cartwheels for a day or two."

Ryo flinched slightly, but nodded his head as he allowed Ken to take out the thread. "Alright, Ken, if you say so," he said, making a face as Ken cut the thread and pulled it from the wound. Aurumon sat in the tree above them, his goggles making noises as he examined the boy.

"Check out his back, Ken," he said from above.

Ken frowned again and did as Aurumon suggested. Just as he pushed the fabric up, his eyes went wide as saucers. "Oh my God..." There was a crude pattern of bumps and lines on Ryo's skin. It first made Ken think about the way shoelaces were strung up, and then he thought about how a corset was tied. All the blemishes were led in paths that crossed each other. "Ryo... Ryo, what is this?"

"Mm? Oh, I got wounds there a few months back," he said, shrugging his shoulders and leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, making the bumps move and stick out. "You didn't notice them before? Guess they're healed over well enough that you don't see them if you're not looking."

"I... I've never seen your back up close before, Ryo..." He'd gotten the opportunity at the hot springs, but he wouldn't admit that Ryo's back wasn't exactly where he was looking. Slender fingers ghosted over the bumps. "Wh-What on earth happened to you?"

"Jeez, um..." Ryo seemed to have to think about what it was that had caused the wounds. "I think that might've been from LadyDevimon. She's insane, you know."

Perhaps expectedly, or perhaps not, Ken was suddenly pressing his face into Ryo's back. Warm tears fell onto the mutilated skin. "I'm so sorry..." Ken whispered.

Ryo was surprised, looking over his shoulder and frowning as he felt Ken's tears running through the ducts the raised skin created. "Ken... Ken, what's the matter?"

"I... I know everyone says it wasn't my fault. I know you don't like me talking about it. I know... I know." Ken sniffled sadly. "But it is. I'm the one who sent you in to that tournament. It's my fault any of this happened to you. You've gotten hurt countless times, and for what?"

"Ken... don't think about it like that," Ryo said, shaking his head. "It was the Dark Spore that made you suggest that tournament in the first place, wasn't it? It was Millenniummon. We're... we're yin and yang, Ken. I was destined for this life."

Ken's arms slipped around to Ryo's chest, holding himself close. "I stole your life..."

"No, Ken," Ryo said, shaking his head. "This was my destiny. Even if you hadn't gotten involved... it still would have happened."

"Why us, Ryo? Why did it have to be us?"

"I don't know," Ryo said with a quiet sigh. "Why did any of the chosen children get picked? Sure, chosen children are kids that have seen great battles between Digimon in the real world, but... Only a handful of the chosens that exist go on grand and dangerous adventures. Some just sit at home and have a DigiEgg appear one day. They keep their Digimon like pets all over the world. Millenniummon said something about me being the only one that can defeat him because I'm an unpredictable force, but... I don't know why that's me. Or why that meant you needed to be involved. I just don't know." Ken didn't say anything more, but only cried. Maybe he really was that broken up about this. Maybe he was just tired. Whatever the reason, he was truly grateful to Ryo for letting him get it all out. Ryo put a hand on Ken's shoulder, not able to do much more with the boy leaning against his back. Aurumon watched from the branch above, regretting telling his boy to look at Ryo's scars. He should have known Ken would have broken down. He was so fragile when confronted with anything that made him feel guilty.

Soon Ken tired of crying. He wiped his eyes dry and fixed some hairs behind his ear. "Sorry about that..." he said as he fixed Ryo's shirt.

"It's alright," Ryo said, slowly standing when Ken pulled back and offering his hand to help him up as well. "Sometimes we just need to get it all out. You gonna be okay?"

Ken nodded and stood with the help. "I just get the weepys sometimes, I guess. I'll be just fine though." The boy shook his head and rolled his shoulders. "Anyway, we've got a village to find, right?" he said with a new smile.

"Yeah," Ryo agreed, smiling as well. They took back to the trail, Cyberdramon watching the humans before he finally decided it was safe enough to follow them. Whenever Ken cried or got emotional the Digimon seemed put off and kept a good distance from them. Finally, they reached the top of the hill overlooking their destination. Below them was a patchwork quilt land of buildings made from soft blocks and a pastel-colored landscape littered with DigiEggs and cradles. The sounds of crying and cooing babies filled the air as they started to descend down towards the village.

"Primary Village!" Ken exclaimed. He ran ahead of the others down into the open-air nursery. The first thing Ken saw was a little white fluffy Paomon that was crying in its cradle. "Aww, poor thing," the boy cooed as he crouched down in front of the crib. "Don't cry little one. Here..." Ken picked up a bottle that was sitting beside the cradle and began feeding the baby Digimon. "There we go. Drink slowly now," he said with a warm voice and a soft blush. Ken had always loved Baby Digimon, ever since he'd gotten Leafmon back.

Ryo descended down the hill much more slowly, smiling slightly as he watched Ken rush towards the cradle. Somehow he'd been expecting a reaction like that. "Hey!" Suddenly a gruff voice came from across the village, and a small red and blue Digimon came rushing towards them at top speed. He skid to a stop when he recognized the group, however. "Oh! Digidestineds!" he exclaimed as he managed to stop before the cradle. "Welcome! Uh, j-just be careful with him."

"Elecmon," the boy sighed with a smile. "You know I'm one of the most careful people with these babies. Have a little faith in me. Of course... having you not bite me in the butt this time was a welcome change." The tiny Paomon hiccuped softly which made Ken giggle. "Feel better now?" he asked and stroked its soft belly with his index finger. "Yes, you look so happy now. Yeah. Yeeaaah. Hi there. Hiiiii..."

Elecmon was still wary, but it was just his nature to be like that. Ryo took his attention away from Ken by approaching him with the DigiEgg. "Hey, Elecmon?"

"Ryo!" Elecmon seemed far more excited to see him, eyes widening as he turned to the tamer. "It's been so long since your visited File Island! What brings you here?"

"I wanted to give you this," Ryo explained, lowering the DigiEgg to the ground.

"Oh, I see..."

Ken looked over his shoulder at the egg while still stroking the Paomon. "It was a Megadramon that attacked Time Village," he said. "We want to ask him why. We think... We think he might be part of war that's going on."

"I don't know much about that," Elecmon said with a frown. "I try to keep out of fights to keep the village safe. But you're welcome to wait here until he hatches if you want to talk to him."

It seemed the little Paomon had fallen asleep, so Ken moved away from the cradle and closer to the egg. "How long does something like that take?" he asked.

"Depends on the sort of egg," Elecmon said.

"Dragon Digimon don't take long," Ryo responded. "With how long it took us to get here, it shouldn't be much longer."

Ken bit his lip. "Do you think he might... I don't know... Flip out on us?"

"Even if he does, he'll be a baby," Ryo said with a small laugh. "He won't be ble to do much more than gnaw our fingers."

"Call me if there's an issue. I'm good with kids," Elecmon said, ears perking up as they caught the sound of crying from across the village a full few seconds before either of the humans heard it, dashing off to attend to the crying baby as soon as he heard it. Ryo smiled slightly, picking up the egg and putting it in his lap, rubbing the shell idly.

"First impressions hardly leave you thinking he really would be good with them," Ken said. He watched Ryo rub the egg and smiled. "How many times have you done this before?"

"A few," Ryo said quietly. "Quite a few, actually. Aside from my partners, I've helped raise tons of Digimon who've helped me out."

The smiled grew. "Ryo Akiyama, I'm starting to think there isn't anything you can't do."

Ryo laughed, shaking his head as he rubbed the shell of the DigiEgg. "That's not true."

"Oh?" Ken leaned forward and tilted his head to one side so he could peer into Ryo's face. "So what exactly does the Legendary Tamer consider impossible, then?"

"W-well, uh, I dunno, like..." Ryo laughed a little nervously, shrugging his shoulders. "I can't really think right off the top of my head... but I'm sure there's tons of stuff I can't do."

The pale boy giggled. "Can you curl your tongue? Like this..." Ken proceeded to stick out his tongue and curl it like a hotdog bun.

"I can do that," Ryo said with a nod, mimicing Ken.

"Well that settles it," Ken said with a playful shrug. "You can do everything."

"That's not even close to everything," Ryo huffed, leaning back with the DigiEgg held against his stomach. "I mean, I can't fly or anything."

Ken looked upward as he pondered this. "Can't you fly as Justimon?"

"Well... he can like, jump really high, I guess, and sort of hover, but... It's not really the same as flying!" Ryo insisted.

Ken closed his eyes and shook his head. "You're still totally super awesome, Ryo."

"I guess," Ryo said, again shrugging. "It's really just circumstance, though... anyone in my position would be able to do tons of stuff by now."

"I don't think I would," Ken objected. "Some people are a little hopeless, even if given plenty of time to practice."

"You? You would have been fine, I think," Ryo said, shaking his head. "If you had been in my place and I in yours... well, I think everything would have worked out much the same. Just with us in each other's positions."

Ken just hummed quietly at that. He was more than positive that Ryo would have an easier time making it through as the Kaiser than he did. Of course, now wasn't really the time or place to discuss something like that. A subtle crack caught the boy's attention and his eyes were on the egg. "Did you hear that?"

Ryo looked down at the DigiEgg, moving his hand to reveal a tiny crack in the shell. His blue eyes went wide as he watched it circle the entire circumfrence of the shell, before the top popped off. Inside was a tiny blue blob of a Digimon with a tiny horn adorned in gold, a little tail, and big yellow eyes. "Hey, Ketomon..." Ryo said quietly, carefully lifting the little Digimon out of the bottom of the egg, which fell onto the soft plush ground and glowed, morphing into a cradle.

The tiny Digimon turned in all directions and made angry little hissing sounds. When he saw the humans and Digimon surrounding him on all sides, Ketomon took a deep breath and began blowing bubbles while spinning rapily around and around. All Ken had to do was put up a hand to stop the bubbles in their path. "I might feel threatened if it wasn't so cute," he said.

"Hey, hey, relax," Ryo cooed. He started to pet back the Digimon's horn, which was still soft and squishy like the rest of the body, seemingly already knowing how to deal with him and calm him down.

"What happened to me?" Ketomon asked. It was obvious he was trying to sound menacing with the little hiss in his voice, but it was just such a cute squeak that the threat was totally lacking. "Was my mission complete?"

"If you mean blowing up the village... Well, it's not gone, but you did a pretty good job," Ryo sighed. "Why were you trying to blow up the village, anyway?"

"I wasn't!" Ketomon snapped. "At least... Not at first. I was sent there to recruit the Hagurumon into The Infection. Only all the Solarmon started to attack me, so I fought back. Neutral zone my horn!"

I see..." Ryo murmured, frowning slightly. "What is The Infection?"

Ken was already frowning as well. The boy was not comfortable at all with how angry this little baby was. "The Infection is what will come to pass when the Virus Digimon win the war!" Ketomon exclaimed with pride.

"Virus Digimon?" Ryo placed Ketomon down in his cradle so he could rest his hands on his knees. "Tell me about the war. I wasn't aware any war started."

Ketomon puffed up angrily again. "It's all that Alphamon's fault. He decided that there are too many Virus Digimon in the world, so he decided to start deleting us! We weren't going to stand for that! Our brave General, Gaiomon, stepped forward and said enough was enough! He declared war against the Vaccine Digimon. If there's no place for us in this world with Vaccine around, then we'll just get rid of the Vaccine Digimon!" The tiny Digimon leapt into the air. "Power to The Infection!"

"So the Vaccine Digimon and Virus Digimon have started a war?" Ryo asked, more to himself, since he'd heard the Digimon loud and clear the first time. He nodded to himself, seemingly taking the information to ponder. "Alright," he said quietly. "Well... best of luck with your recovery, Ketomon. And uh, just be careful... your Rookie form is a Vaccine type, you know."

The little Digimon paled at that bit of information. "Oh no! It is!" he squealed in terror.

Ken bit his lip as he heart sank at the news. "Ryo... We have to do something..."

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked, frowning. "He can just stay here until he reaches his Champion level and is a Virus type again."

Ken shook his head. "No, I mean about the war!"

"Oh, that." Ryo scratched at the back of his head. "I guess we can try and talk the Vaccine-type leader into stopping... Or even the Virus leader. After all, the two of us are technically on either side. But... if we do that..." he said, looking at Ken with a sort of worried expression. "We probably won't be going home any time soon. Are you okay with staying here longer than your already have?"

Now Ken nodded, and quite energetically. "Yes! Yes, I'm fine with it! I-" The boy stopped to calm himself. "I very well couldn't leave the Digital World knowing it was in danger. I'm a Chosen. It's my duty to help."

Ryo smiled slightly, nodding his head. "Well, good. Then I guess that's our new goal. Ketomon?" he asked, looking down at the little Digimon and hoping he hadn't freaked him out too much. "Can you tell us where we might find Alphamon or Gaiomon?"

"Alphamon lives at the Holy Capital, but it's almost impossible to find since it's always moving. As for General Gaiomon, he resides in the Dark Area." The mere mention of the place made Ken go sickly pale. "You can't just march right up to them, though!" Ketomon barked. "You have to defeat their ranking officers before either General will even consider meeting with you! Legendary Tamer or not!"

"Huh, you know me too?" Ryo murmured, stroking his chin. "Well... going to the Dark Area probably isn't a good idea, so maybe we'll search for the Holy Capital. Is that okay with you, Ken?" Ryo asked, looking over at the other boy and at once noticing his pale face. "Ken, are you alright?"

Ken didn't respond at first, but after Ryo repeated his name a few more times, he finally looked up, but his eyes were lost. "What?"

"Ken, is it okay if we go to the Holy Capital?" Ryo repeated.

"Oh... uhm..." Ken nodded. "Yes, yes that's okay."

A stream of bubbles popped against Ryo's cheek. "Didn't you hear what I said? You can't just go straight to the Generals. They'll kill you!"

"Ow," Ryo hissed. Those bubbles sure had a sting to them. "Well then we'll find his officers and take care of them while we search for the Holy Capital. You said it's hard to find anyway."

Ketomon grinned. "That'll show him. A Vaccine taking out his own officers! Ha!"

"Well we're... one Vaccine and one Virus," Ryo said, gesturing to Cyberdramon and Wormmon, who were watching from a short while off. "So we're like, a balance, I guess. And besides, if the Vaccine leader won't listen to us, we'll have to take down the Virus officers to talk to him too."

Ketomon just puffed his cheeks out at that. "Psh, Virus and Vaccine working together. Don't make me laugh. You'll each join your own side eventually. Just you wait and see."

"No!" Ken protested. "I would never go against Ryo, never!"

"That's not gonna happen," Ryo said, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "I've seen amazing teams made up of Virus and Vaccine... and even Data Digimon working together. There won't be any splitting up."

"Hey, you leave the Data Digimon out of this!" Ketomon warned.

"What?" Ryo looked down at Ketomon, frowning slightly. "What's wrong with working with Data Digimon?"

"The Data Digimon are off limits!" he growled. "It's the only agreement we stand on. The Data Digimon are not to get involved so as to reduce their casulties. Without the Data Digimon, there will be nothing to Infect when we win!"

"But I'm not involved in the war. If I get a Data Digimon to help me, what're you gonna do about it? I know a Data Digimon I could call right now for help, in fact."

"How about this!" Ketomon took a deep breath a blew a fury of bubbles at Ryo's face.

"Stop it!" Ken cried and pressed his hand over the Digimon's mouth. "Why are you doing this? You shouldn't be fighting! Fighting only causes pain and sadness for everyone involved." Ketomon just glared up at Ken before using his tiny sharp teeth to bite down on Ken's hand, even managing to draw a bit of blood. "Ow!" The boy drew his hand back, releasing the baby Digimon.

"Power to The Infection!" Ketomon declared before hopping out of his cradle and towards the woods. "New world order! Power to the Virus! The Infection is upon you!"

"He's mental," Ryo breathed as he wiped his eyes. He let out a sigh, standing and offering Ken a hand to help him up as well. "Guess we're on our own when it comes to finding these commanding officers."

Ken remained knealing on the ground and nursing his hand. "Ryo... What does it mean for a Digimon to be deleted?"

"Deleted..." Ryo breathed for a moment, shaking his head. "It means that another Digimon absorbs its data... preventing it from reforming as a DigiEgg."

He'd been crying only a few hours ago. He knew Ryo hated to see him cry. However... "Why would they do that to each other?" Ken asked with tears in his eyes.

"Because just like humans, while some Digimon want to help others, there are some that only want power," Ryo said, crouching in front of the other boy. "It's a horrible truth, but getting upset about it is not the way to deal with it. The only thing we can do is fight the ones that are doing wrong."

"I know..." Ken nodded and wiped his eyes. "It's just... sad, Ryo. That's all..."

"I agree," Ryo said, nodding. "I reacted much the same way the first time I saw it happen. But Ken, if you get upset over every bad thing that happens like this... well... you're gonna spend a lot of time crying."

The boy managed a small smile. "I... I don't suppose you have a tea cup I can sit in, so I won't drown at least."

"I don't have that, but I can hold you above the salty waters," Ryo joked, as he quite easily stood and scooped Ken up in his arms. "Damn, you're light," he breathed.

Ken blushed and hummed. "Yes... It bothers my doctor, but..." He smiled and lifted one of his legs in an old fashioned sailor girl kick. "I like being this way."

"Well, I like that it's easy on my arms," Ryo said with a laugh as he just as easily spun them around a few times.

Ken squealed softly with delight. His arms had come to hold around Ryo's neck while his blushing face ducked against a clothed chest. "Ryo!"

"What, too fast?" Ryo laughed as he slowed to a stop. He didn't seem at all dizzy as he easily started his way towards the forest where Ketomon had vanished, after looking over his shoulder and jerking his head to get their Digimon to follow.

Ken began to hum a little tune and kicked his feet gently as Ryo carried him along. "Kites are rising in the sky, catching fair winds far up high. Rise and rise to the clouds that float, fly high up in the sky!" Soon he'd actually begun to sing. It was nothing special, but easy to listen to. Ken recalled the song from happier times with his brother and parents. "Kites are neat in the sky, dancing, leaping way up high. Rising to the white clouds, fly high up in the sky! Falling, falling is the kite, run and run to keep it high. Oh, the kite is rising now, hold, hold your string tight!" Ryo smiled, humming along with the song. It was a vague memory, but it was there, the tune at least. He didn't think much of why he knew it, simply glad that Ken hadn't started bawling and was easily cheered up. Ken beamed when Ryo started humming along. "You remember!" he said excitedly and then tried another. "At Shojoji Temple in the garden there is moonlight tonight. Come on everybody, my friends, play belly drums. Pom poko pom no pom. Don't lose your dancing bout against the monk. Come here, come here, everybody come here to dance. At Shojoji Temple, it's Japanese bush clover is fully bloomed under the moonlight. We are crazy to dance and play the belly drum. Pom poko pom no pom."

Ryo remembered that one too, humming the tune but the words escaping him. The only thing he did remember was, "Osamu taught those to us." He spoke quietly, biting his lip a bit as the memory took form in his mind.

The boy nodded. "He did. When we went to the park, he'd lead us in a march and teach us those songs." Ken's face was aglow with the fond memories of their youth. "Do you remember A Rolling Acorn? An acorn rolled down and down. He suddenly fell into a pond. Then came the loaches. Hi boy! Come play with us!"

Ryo had to think for a few moments. They were into the trees of the forest and back on normal ground before he unsurely sang, "The acorn enjoyed playing with them... But he soon begn to cry." He paused, trying to think of the next line, looking up at the leaves as they passed under them. "I want to go back to the mountain."

Ken nodded again. "The loaches didn't know what to do." It was a little bit of a sad song, but it hardly affected Ken that way. Instead he giggled proudly of Ryo and pulled up slightly to leave a kiss under the older boy's jaw.

Ryo blushed, shrugging his shoulders up shyly which brought Ken higher up. "I'm surprised I remember all those," he laughed, perhaps a little nervously. "My memories of when I was a kid are... pretty vague."

"Everything is still up there," Ken said and tapped Ryo's forehead. "Now that you have someone around like you did back then, I'm sure it will come back to you. Remember helping me cross the monkey bars for the first time?"

"Y-yeah, I think so," Ryo said, scrunching up his forehead when Ken poked it. "I remember the first time you tried without help you fell and scraped your knee. And you came up to me sniffling and asking for a bandage."

He nodded. "And you had one in your pocket. Your mom always sent you out with extra band-aids because of how rough and tumble you were. Remember when you jumped off the swing and banged your elbow on the landing, but you just got right back up and did it again?"

"Yeah.. yeah, I do remember that," Ryo said with another laugh. "It was this arm, too," he added, slightly lifting up the armored arm. "Oh how history repeats itself. I remember I hurt it playing soccer with you guys, too. Numerous times."

"You sure are built for endurance. That much is true."

"Even so, there is such a thing as enduring too much," Ryo said, letting out a long breath as he suddenly had to stop and let Ken down. "Even I can't do everything I used to be able to do. Like bang my arm jumping off swings and get up with no problem."

Ken had been grateful for the little ride, but he was now willing to stand on his own two feet. "Turning into an old man, are we?" he teased.

Ryo smiled wistfully. "Yeah, kinda," he murmured, reaching his hand across his torso to clutch his armored arm. "Nothing to worry about, though."

This put a slight frown on Ken's face. "Are you sure? Do we need to stop and rest for a little while?"

"Nah, it's alright," Ryo said, laughing and rolling his shoulders back. "Just can't carry you that far. Now... we've got some officers to find, right?"

Ken gave an affirmative nod. "Right, we've got to find them and hopefully talk some sense into them."

"I think we should head for File City," Ryo suggested. "If anyone is gonna know anything about where to find these officers, it's gonna be Jijimon. He runs the city and knows almost everything that happens on the island."

"What type of Digimon is he?" Ken asked a bit warily. "What if he's part of the war?"

"He's a Vaccine type, but he'd never get involved in a war," Ryo answered, shaking his head. "He's too mellow and wise. I'll bet right now there could be a battle going on outside his window, and he would step outside, smack each Digimon in the fight on the shin, and then go back inside to drink some tea."

This made Ken giggle. "He sounds like my grandfather. When Osamu and I fought, he get up from watching television, smack us both on the head, and sit back down."

"Jijimon basically is like a grandfather. He looks like a short old man. He treated me pretty much like his grandkid when I stayed in File City."

"He sounds really nice," Ken said with a nod. "So... Which way is File City?"

"Further into the center of the island," Ryo said. "So we should be on the right path. We'll probably get there before the sun goes down if we keep on this path... and maybe we can find Ketomon again and get some more info out of him. Because if Jijimon doesn't have any leads, then I'm not sure where we'll start looking."

Ken frowned and stuck his bottom lip out slightly. "That little brat bit me. I'd rather find a Data Digimon who gave give us unbiased information, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

"The only other thing I could think of would be to try and get in touch with the tamers, but I don't know how much they'd know, either," Ryo said with a sigh.

"You mean like Takato and Kenta?" Ken asked as he and Ryo stared along the path again.

"Yep. Though I'd probably need to ask Henry, he's the most knowledgable of the group."

Ken slipped his hand in with Ryo's. "What's Henry like?"

Ryo seemed surprised, like he always was, but just blushed and continued to talk. "He's very smart and very assertive. He's disiplined and very level-headed. He worked really well as the straight-man of the group, always making sure everyone else stayed in line. Which was a real good thing since his partner, Terriermon, was totally off the wall."

"Henry sounds like Cody," he said with a nod. "Although, Cody was the youngest of our group by quite a bit. His grandfather is a kendo master and he raised Cody to be very disciplined. He was wise beyond his years."

"Oh, really?" Ryo asked, nodding his head. "I think Henry might have done some sort of Chinese martial arts or something. At least, I'd be surprised if he didn't. He was always so zen, y'know?"

"That's exactly how Cody was! He and I didn't get along at all after I turned back to normal. Cody had a knack for holding grudges, and he held the Kaiser thing over my head for a long time."

"I guess every Digidestined group is built similarly. It makes sense," Ryo said, shrugging his shoulders. "I assume you guys have... um..." He paused, and laughed quietly. "Goggleheads, right?"

Ken's hand came to his mouth to hide a louder laugh. "Oh, most definitely. Taichi was the first generation, and Daisuke was the second generation. In fact, Taichi even passed on his own goggles _to_ Daisuke."

"Really?" Ryo laughed, nodding his head. "Takato's ours. He wears goggles because the main character always wore them in the Digimon cartoon in his universe."

"Okay, wait, wait..." Ken said through his laughter. "Now, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. Are we their cartoon show? I mean, I'd think it impossible, the the Digital World is anything but. Did these kids watch Taichi and his friends on Saturday mornings?"

"No, I don't think it was actually them," Ryo said with a laugh. "Though that would be pretty funny. I could be wrong, though... that'd be trippy, huh?"

"So trippy," the boy said with some exaggerance. "And if it was, imagine what it would be like to meet them. The universe would probably implode or something. Either that, or we'd be signing autographs."

"Or people would just think you were really good cosplayers," Ryo snickered. "Did I tell you that Takato had his Digimon walk around with him on the streets of Kansai just by using that excuse?"

Ken's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? Peole in Odaiba would have broken out into a riot!"

"Nah, it wasn't even a problem. Kids have played on Growlmon's back thinking he was playground equipment." He touched his chin, frowning gently. "Maybe everyday people in the other dimension are exceptionally dim..."

Ken sputtered through a snicker. "Ryo, that's horrible."

"It's a giant dinosaur!" Ryo exclaimed. "How do they not realize that they're playing on a giant sleeping dinosaur?"

"Yes, but..." he said and raised a finger, "Children are far more acccepting of the unexplicable and spectacular."

"Well yeah, but when parents watch their kids sliding down a dinosaur's tail you think they'd be a little worried," Ryo said, shaking his head. "But, whatever. However they hid him works for me. I probably would have had a much harder time with Cyberdramon if he didn't devolve into Monodramon in the real world. Guilmon fit in so well because he's just so damn cute," he added with a laugh.

Ken glanced over his shoulder back at Cyberdramon. The large dragon was rather menacing looking, what with his plated face and almost constant snarl. "Hm... I see what you mean. Luckily our Digimon were so small that we could pass them off as dolls."

"Really?" Ryo asked, looking surprised. "Man, only Henry, Suzie, and Kenta could do that. Guilmon and Monodramon are about this tall," he said, holding his hand just above his hip, "And Renamon and Guardromon were this tall," he said, holding his hand just above his head.

"Well, sure." Ken nodded. "Were those their In-Training forms, though? Remember our Digimon devolve in the real world."

"Ours devolve to, but not into In-Training. Most were Rookies, Guardromon and Leomon were Champions, and like I told you before, MarineAngemon was a Mega. I'm not sure how the rules of devolving worked in their world, but it seemed to vary from one Digimon to another."

Ken frowned. "Seems rather complicated to me. I could pass Wormmon off easily enough, but to try and hide Stingmon?" He shrugged. "Only it doesn't really matter anymore. Digimon don't have to hide since practically everyone has a Digimon now."

"Everyone?" Ryo seemed confused by the notion. "What do you mean by everyone?"

"Just that," he replied. "Everyone."

"Everyone has a Digimon?" Ryo asked, eyes widening and eyebrows raising. "How is that- I mean I guess it's possible, but it's so-..." He stopped himself, taking a breath in. "Wow, that's weird."

Ken nodded. "We were surprised, too. There were all ready children other than us who had Digimon. Children all over the world. We found out that they were chosen, too, just not in the way we were. Now, though, not everyone it a chosen, but everyone has a partner. Once our worlds opened into each other, the Digimon came wandering out little by little, and they found humans they felt strong connections with."

"Wow," Ryo breathed, eyes still wide as saucers. "That... sounds awesome. I... really wanna see that world."

Ken stopped so he could properly face Ryo and squeezed his hand. "That's _your_ world, Ryo. I promise you'll see it again. I'm going to take you back with me. Cyberdramon will fit in. You can finally come home with me."

"Y-yeah, I... I'd like that," Ryo murmured, finally smiling again. "I'd like to go home and see that."

"It'll be wonderful," the pale boy said and hugged the darker one. "We'll be together again. We can go to the park like we used to, Ryo. We'll fly kites and pick blades of grass to see whose is longer."

"I'd like that, Ken," Ryo repeated, burying his face in the younger boy's neck. "I really would. It'll be... perfect."

Ken held the embrace for a little while longer before pulling back, face warm and smiling. "So, File City, right?"

"Y-yeah," Ryo stammered, smiling as well. The warm atmosphere of the moment that had just passed hung in the air as they started back on their way. Cyberdramon snorted from somewhere behind him but Wormmon hushed him, and oddly enough the huge dragon Digimon didn't do more.

Ken didn't turn all the way to look over his should, but his eyes did glance backward as he frowned. "Cyberdramon... doesn't like me being close to you, does he?"

"He doesn't like anyone being close to me," Ryo said with a small sigh. "He has Millenniummon's ruthless selfishness."

The smaller hand tightened around the larger one. "Will he... let you go back home? What if Cyberdramon isn't willing to share you with the humans?"

"Once we get him through the gate, he'll be just fine," Ryo said with a reassuring smile. "When he turns back into Monodramon, he's perfectly fine. Almost like he never got infected at all."

"Hm... What's his In-Training form? I think that's what he'll be."

"Hopmon," Ryo said, shrugging his shoulders. "If he turns into him, even better. Hopmon's like... a tiny purple blob with a horn and little teeth and wings."

Ken giggled. "He sounds like a grumpy vampire bunny."

Ryo laughed loudly. "Well, that's an interesting take on it!"

"You said a horn and teeth? It sounds like that little Ketomon that bit me before," Ken said, still giggling.

Ryo suddenly quieted down, casting his eyes down at his feet. "Ketomon... is my Digimon's baby form."

While Ryo frowned, Ken continued to smile gently. "Having that kind of Baby probably means you'd be an expert with human kids."

"What makes you say that?" Ryo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He seems like a bit of a handful. If you can handle a baby Cyberdramon, I think a couple of kids would be cake."

"Heh... maybe that's true," Ryo said, shrugging his shoulders again. "Cyberdramon was actually a pretty good baby. Better behaved than the Ketomon we just saw, actually."

"Ohhh," Ken nodded. "That makes sense. They are all different."

"When Cyberdramon first hatched, I thought... he was going to be the same," Ryo said quietly. "He acted normal. He was still happy and I could still talk to him. All up until he turned into his Champion form for the first time. Strikedramon could still talk, but he was ruthless and violent. When he devolved into Monodramon again that day, his personality changed back to normal, and I decided... we wouldn't fight anymore. I decided to hide away in a cave with my Digimon so he'd never have to Digivolve back into the monster that Millenniummon made his Champion form into. But then we got attacked, and no matter how much I begged Monodramon not to Digivolve to save me, he did it anyway. Then he got stuck as Strikedramon, and I had to make my whip in order to keep him under control. And then he became Cyberdramon, and I couldn't even reason with him anymore."

Ken lifted Ryo's hand and kissed the back of it. "You know... Despite all that, it sounds like he really is protective of you. Loyal to you. Even though he is selfish with you, he only is because he likes you so much. When we were riding Vikemon, and Cyberdramon laid his head in your lap... I was shocked. I didn't expect that from him at all. Deep down, I think we both know he's a sweety."

"I know he is," Ryo said, smiling wistfully. "I just... I wish he didn't have to deal with these violent tendancies. Before Millenniummon was inside of him, he was such a happy-go-lucky, perky Digimon. I feel... terrible that he had to combine with Millenniummon to protect me."

"It was as much his destiny as it was yours, Ryo. I wish I hadn't done all the things I did as the Kaiser, but... What can we do?"

"I tried to help free Cyberdramon from this, but... it didn't work. I've been here for so many years and it never worked. So... nothing, I guess."

Ken kissed Ryo's hand again. "If it helps... I think I know what Cyberdramon is going through. As miserable as we might be sometimes, having someone we care about near by... Really helps lift the weight."

Ryo smiled, if only slightly. "Thanks, Ken," he said. He then turned his eyes back on the trail, and fell quiet the rest of the way.


	10. Devolving

File City wasn't too far, just like Ryo had predicted. It was a huge city, made up of buildings that didn't look like any two had been built by the same person. It was bustling with Digimon, especially the main square, where the circuit-board-like patterns on the concrete all led in to a fountain in the center of the city. Indigo eyes widened. "Oh wow! Look at this place!" Ken turned to look at Ryo. "Has this always been here?"

"Not always. It got destroyed at one point, and it only had a few buildings left standing. But... it started to slowly grow, and now it's back to its full glory." Ryo grinned, pointing towards one side of the city. "Jijimon's shack is still exactly the same as it was when the city first started, so it's pretty easy to pick out."

"A shack? Shouldn't the leader of an entire city live in like... a Town Hall or something?" Ken asked. "Surely he deserves better than a shack."

"He doesn't want anything more," Ryo answered, shaking his head. "He's very minimalistic."

Ken bit his lip. "I guess if that's what he likes. Shall we go, then?"

Ryo nodded, starting to lead the way through the buildings. The further they got to one side of the city, the more simple and old-fashioned the buildings got. Eventually they reached the small shack. It had a wooden roof and a cloth hanging in the doorway. Ryo pulled the drape open, peering inside. "Jijimon?"

"What have I told you younglings about knocking?" the old voice barked from somewhere in the shack. Ken gasped and jumped back a little when a very hairy humanoid Digimon jumped into view. He couldn't see Jijimon's face and the large staff he held was quite intimidating. There was a pause, and he could only assume that the Digimon's eyes had widened at the sight of the boy in front of him. "Ryo! I'll be! How long has it been, my boy?"

"Almost six years since I was here last," Ryo said. "Can you believe it?" He pulled Ken inside, bowing to the old Digimon and kneeling down to get on his eye level, pulling on Ken's hand for him to do the same. "Jijimon, let me introduce you to Ken."

"Ken, hm?" Jijimon leaned in close. Close enough that his grey hair brushed Ken's face.

Ken had gotten on his knees as Ryo insisted and was now trying to lean back so as to preserve his space. "Hello, Jijimon, nice to meet you."

Jijimon huffed through his whiskers. "Too skinny," he said.

Ryo laughed. "Come on, Jijimon, you're really still hung up on stuff like that? You said the same thing to me six years ago."

"Needs more sun, too!" the old Digimon declared with a tap of his staff on the floor. "Look at you, Ryo! All built up, filled out, and brown as the dirt! Vision of health, you are!" Jijimon said with pride.

Ryo just smiled slightly. Jijimon had always been like this. The boy was just glad to see he hadn't changed much. "Ken is another chosen child, like me, Jijimon," Ryo went on to explain, not indulging the Digimon's critisms of his companion. "He was the one who first helped me fight Millenniummon all those years ago."

Again, Jijimon seemed to have an expression of surprise. "You mean this is that little blue-headed toddler running around half the broken Digital World?" He leaned in close once more to the boy who was now staring at his own hands, trying to confirm the too pale and thin judgements passed on him. "Look at me, son!"

Ken's head snapped up, eyes wide. "Y-Yes, sir!" Ken stared back into a face he couldn't see, but was too freaked out to try looking anywhere else.

"Well trim my whiskers!" Jijimon exclaimed. "It is him! I remember that face!"

"Yep," Ryo was still smiling. Jijimon was intimidating at first, but after having lived with the Digimon for a while, his behavior had grown on the boy. "Him and Wormmon have had plenty of their own adventures, and he's worked with a lot of other Digidestined kids since the first time he came here with me."

"Well, it's certainly a pleasure meeting you!" Jijimon laughed and pat Ken on the head with his large hand. The friendly gesture abruptly stopped, however, and Jijimon fell quiet. "You feel different," he mumbled.

Ken swallowed. "D-Different, sir?"

Jijimon then placed his other hand on Ryo's head. Just to be sure. "You don't feel like a normal human. There's something about you," he pondered aloud.

"Like what, Jijimon?" Ryo asked, casting Ken what he hoped was a reassuring glance.

Jijimon stroked his thick whiskers. "Now I'm no expert, but you boys aren't the ones who have the babies, right?"

"Of course not!" Ken blurted, his face turning red.

"Calm down, calm down," Jijimon urged. "What's in you, then?"

Ken ducked his head down. "I'd rather not talk about that..."

"It's a long story," Ryo sighed. "Millenniummon... he sort of... infected Ken. He did it to my new partner too."

The old Digimon hummed. "Sounds like some bad juju if you ask me."

"Tell me about it," Ryo murmured. "He left quite a mark..." He looked over at Ken, noticing his upset expression. "But that's not what we're here to talk to you about, Jijimon. We were wondering if you could tell us about the war."

"Bah! War..." Jijimon huffed. "Pointless fighting is what it is. All this hullabaloo about cleansings and infections. I won't put up with it in my city!"

"So it hasn't reached here?" Ryo asked. "Well, that's good. We're looking to try and break this up... we were hoping you might know something about the officers that work under the two Digimon that started this whole thing."

Jijimon nodded. "There are ten officers total; five on each side. I don't know who they all are, though. The only two I do know are the Lieutenants, and that's because they both came through here looking for recruits. I kicked them out on their tails!"

Ken looked up nervously. "We need to find them. Talk to them."

"Well one of them is a Puroromon. He's stationed in Beetle Land. The other is a Kyaromon and she's in the Tropical Jungle. Both of them run training camps for Baby Digimon."

Ryo knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. "Really? Those... Those are In-Training Digimon. Their offiers are In-Training? That doesn't make much sense at all..."

"Actually, it sort of does," Ken countered. "Lieutenants are on the bottom of the rankings in the army. Under them are Privates, which seem to be the Babies. If we follow the pattern correctly, the officers are assigned the rank of Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, and General based on their evolutionary level."

"Well, I mean, that makes sense, but... you'd think these leaders would want a bunch of strong Digimon, not In-Trainings and Rookies."

The large staff was rapped harshly over Ryo's head. "Forgetting everything I taught you all ready, boy?" Jijimon scolded. "All Digimon have their purpose."

"Ow!" Ryo crossed his arms over his head, sheilding it. "That may be true, but when it comes to two Digimon that just want power over the other, you'd think they'd be concerned with what they consider powerful allies. That's all I'm saying."

"Ryo, do you send your strongest men out to fight, or do you hold them back to train the weaker warriors?" Jijimon asked.

"I don't have a huge army..." Ryo mumbled. He flinched when Jijimon raised the staff again. "Okay, okay! Yes, I guess they'd want to train weaker warriors too."

"Wrong!" The staff was brought down on the boy's brown head anyway. "Ken, can you please explain to my failed pupil here what the logic is to these officers' levels?"

Ken nodded a bit timidly. He feared the staff cracking over his own head should he give the wrong answer. "Officers who are in the Champion and Ultimate levels are too powerful and valuable to waste on training new recruits. Their efforts are better spent on leading trained warriors into battle. The In-Training and Rookie level Digimon might be weaker, but they still have experience. They are too weak to use on the battlefield, but they are perfectly suited for passing on their knowledge and skills to the Baby Digimon who will one day evolve into capable warriors for the Champions and Ultimates to command in battle."

Jijimon appeared to be beaming. "You could learn a thing or two from this boy, Ryo!"

Ryo rubbed his head, pursng his lips slightly as he discovered a bump forming where Jijimon had hit him. "Ow... well, okay... if that's the case, then maybe we can just dissuade the In-Training Digimon instead of fighting them, or at least try and get all of the Baby Digimon away from them."

Ken nodded. "I'd feel awful ganging up on a little In-Training Digimon," he said with a pout. "It just wouldn't be right."

"I like your tender heart," Jijimon complemented the boy with an approving nod.

The boy smiled shyly. "Thank you..."

"Looks like you just made up for your lack of a tan," Ryo said with a laugh, still rubbing his head. He then turned to Jijimon. "Thank you so much for the information, Jijimon," he started with another bow of his head. "Can we do anything to repay you?"

"Try to remember the things I taught you!" the old Digimon huffed. "I wasn't just talking out my nose for fun, Ryo." This made Ken giggle. "I would suggest going to Beetle Land first," Jijimon said. "Kyaromon will be much easier, so you shouldn't spoil yourselves."

"Well, I know where that is," Ryo said, nodding his head. "Tropical Jungle is much closer, but if we go there second, we can come back here to rest instead of staying in a cave, if you'll have us, Jijimon."

Jijimon laughed. "You know there's always a place for you here!"

"I'm glad," Ryo said with an appreciative smile, folding his hands in his lap. "This city looks better and better every time I come back."

"Thank you, my boy!" Jijimon said joyfully. "We work very hard here to make things new and keep them up to date. We'll rival the capital someday soon. Just you wait and see!"

"Well, unlike the capital, it's actually possible to find File City, so I'd say you guys are doing a pretty good job," Ryo said with a laugh.

Ken looked confusedly between the boy and the Digimon. "There's a capital?"

"Mhm," Ryo said, nodding and looking back at Ken. "But it's pretty much impossible to find. People say that there's a giant Digimon that carries it on his back."

Indigo eyes widened in wonder. "Wow... Really? That's amazing. I can't imagine a Digimon being that big."

Ryo nodded his head. "I didn't believe the rumors at first, but then I met a Digimon named KingWhamon who was so big that a whole island rested on his back. Now I believe that it's very possible for some Digimon to be carrying the capital around. The only thing that perplexes me is how he manages to keep from being found."

"Maybe he swims, too. The ocean is just as vast here as on earth. Something can easily get lost out on those waters. He could very well be constantly on the move and we'd always be one step behind him," Ken explained.

"That's possible," Ryo said with a nod. "But until we know what sort of Digimon he is, we really can't know where to look. If he swims, if he flies... We don't know. Only a few Digimon have been there, mainly the ones that have lived there, but finding them to ask them is just as much of a chore as finding the place itself."

"Who exactly lives at the capital?" Ken asked.

"Why the king does, of course!" Jijimon replied with an air of triumph. Whether it was for his own knowledge or for the king, Ken couldn't tell. "Him and the Royal Knights. Alphamon, Craniamon, Crusadermon, Dynasmon, Examon, Gallantmon, Kentaurosmon, Leopardmon, Magnamon, and Omnimon."

Ken looked up suddenly. "Wait, did you say Alphamon? He's the one who started the war! How are we going to stop him if we can't even find him?"

"We'll just have to go through his officers and hope they can give us some sort of hint," Ryo said with a frown.

Ken sighed and nodded. "Should we rest for today and start out tomorrow, or do you think we should head out?" he asked, looking at Ryo.

"We can't reach Beetle Land today. It's too far away," Ryo said, shaking his head. "We should rest for tonight and head out tomorrow. Besides-" he started, only to be cut off.

"Ken!" Wormmon had suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Ken, something's coming towards the city!"

"What?" Ken was at once on his feet, reacting to the urgency in his Digimon's voice. "Where is it, Wormmon?"

"It's in the sky! Just like Megadramon!" Wormmon yelped as Ryo got to his feet too. "If that's the case, Cyberdramon and I will take it out," he said confidently, before rushing outside to find his Digimon.

"Ryo, wait!" called Ken, trying to chase after the other boy. "It could be too dangerous!" Only by the time Ken got outside, it was for him to see the flash of Justimon's red scarf as he took off into the air.

Justimon lifted himself into the air, only for his eyes to go wide. Approaching the city was a Digimon he hadn't seen since the world held its breath at the battle between him and Diaboromon. White armored body, a huge cape of crimson billowing behind him, and arms plated in blue and gold, weidling a gun and a sword that represented the Digimon that made him. "Is that... Omnimon?" Justimon gasped, freezing as he watched the Digimon approach.

"Ryo!" Ken cried again. "Ryo, don't just stand there! You'll be killed!" Being on the ground, the second figure was too far away for Ken to see. "Move, Ryo! Move!"

Wormmon looked on with wide eyes as Justimon just hovered there. Omnimon approached with his eyes locked on the other Digimon. To his surprise, Omnimon stopped in front of him, staring him down from across a short distance. "Stand aside!" The Digimon spoke with a deep, booming voice that made all of the Digimon in the city look up.

"Wh-what do you want?" Justimon demanded back, obviously trying to keep his voice steady rather than sounding awed.

"I'm here to cleanse this city. Stand aside," Omnimon said again.

Ken turned back into the small shack. "Jijimon, we have to get everyone out of the city!"

"Are you daft, boy? I can't just evacuate all the Digimon. Do you know how long that would take?"

"Omnimon is outside!" Ken shouted desperately. "He's going to wipe out the Virus Digimon and he'll kill Ryo!"

"No!" Justimon put his arms up, transforming the larger one into his sword. "If you want to do that, you'll have to go through me first."

"Very well," Omnimon said, drawing his sword as well.

"Voltage Blade!"

"Transcendent Sword!" There was a loud clang as metal hit metal, and suddenly a dangerous joust had begun.

Jijimon shook his head. "Justimon will be fine. You know as well as I do that Digimon don't die."

"Ryo isn't a Digimon!" Ken cried before running back outside to look up at the sky. He saw the flashes of light from their swords. When they hit was almost like thunder. "Ryo, please, don't fight him!" the boy begged. This wasn't Flymon or a Megadramon. This was something far bigger and stronger than Justimon.

Wormmon jumped off of Ken's shoulder. If Justimon fell, then there would be nothing to stop Omnimon from killing all of the Virus Digimon. Wormmon knew that they had to evacuate, if only the Virus-types. He went off in search of them as Ken and the other Digimon watched the battle in awe. Justimon and Omnimon seemed to be very evenly matched. Justimon even managed to land a Justice Kick attack, making Omnimon pull back from their sword battle. His expression turned impaitent. "I don't have time for this," he growled, lifting up his other arm, a gun emerging from the mouth of the MetalGarurumon head that acted as his hand. "Supreme Cannon!" A huge blast of white-hot energy shot out of the cannon. It hit Justimon dead-on, completely engulfing him in a bright light. Not even the hands over his mouth could cover Ken's scream. He'd seen that attack. Taichi and Yamato's Omnimon used the very same cannon to whipe out Diaboromon's thousands of clones. If it could do that to many, Ken was horrified to think of what it would do to just one. Inside of Justimon, Ryo blacked out. The light from the cannon subsisded into just one small glowing orb, and it crash-landed on the other side of the city. "Now then," Omnimon said, turning his eyes on the Digimon watching from the streets below. He made a small noise as he looked over all of the Digimon, suddenly realizing that the only eyes looking up at him were of Vaccine and Data Digimon. "Where are the Virus types?" he demanded.

Ken didn't have the mind to answer. He took off through the streets as fast as his legs could carry him. Jijimon stepped out of his shack, rapping his staff on the ground. "There aren't any Virus types here," he announced. "Seems they've all gone while you were dilly-dallying up there in the clouds."

Omnimon's eyes widened. He snorted angrily, drawing back his sword. "I will find them," he promised, before taking off, speeding away from the city just as quickly as he came. When Ken got to the other side of the city, he'd find that a group of Digimon had crowded around the still glowing fallen warrior.

"Ryo! Ryo! Let me through! Ryo!" Ken pushed his way in between the Digimon. When he finally made it through, he saw the glowing orb and knew instantly that it was far too small to be a human. Carefully he approached and knelt down. "Ryo...?" the boy breathed as one finger reached out to graze the ball of light. The light suddenly subsided, revealing beneath it a tiny Digimon. It was tear-drop shaped with purple skin and golden markings. Two small wings emerged from either side of its base, and two spikes ran down from the top of its horn. It groaned quietly as two beady black eyes blinked open. Ken's breath choked in his throat. "H-Hopmon..."

The Digimon tried to rub his eyes, but seemed perplexed as the tiny wings on his sides wouldn't quite reach. He looked around, then up at Ken. "Ken, what happened?" he asked in a tiny squeak of a voice. No reply came. Ken's mouth was open, but there wasn't a sound to be heard. One of his hands reached out to touch the little Digimon, but he stopped and drew it back into his chest. All the Digimon standing around them were mumbling quietly to each other. Some seemed lost while some had a good idea what happened. While they were exchanging explanations, all was silenced by a broken cry. Ken was hunched over and sobbing into the ground. Hopmon gasped, his eyes going wide. He tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't, only managing to lift the top of his body up enough to look at the boy. "Ken... Ken? Why're you crying?" he asked.

"You're a Digimon!" Ken croaked through his tears.

Hopmon frowned slightly. "What?"

Ken looked up. Indigo eyes were all ready red-rimmed from his heavy crying. "I told you! I told you not to fight him!" the boy practically screamed. "Now look at you! Why! Why did you have to fight him?" Ken hunched over again, crying against his knees. A Digimon who had been watching stepped forward. She was holding a mirror she'd fetched from her house. Silently, she placed it in front of Hopmon.

Hopmon practically lept out of his skin when he saw his reflection. "Oh, man!" He touched his skin with the small wings on his sides, shivering when he felt scales. "How did this even happen?"

"You must have devolved while still merged with your Digimon," she replied. "Omnimon hit you with his cannon. You're lucky you aren't an egg." This just earned a groan of a sob from Ken.

"That... shouldn't have happened," he said, looking completely perplexed as he stared at the mirror. "We should have seperated before he devolved! This... this doesn't make any sense..."

"Did you faint?" she asked. "While still inside your Digimon?"

"Um... I think so," he answered quietly. "There was a flash of black..."

The Digimon nodded gently. "Without your conscious will to separate, you remain merged," she explained. "Unfortunately, you cannot separate again until you reach your original form."

"So I gotta get back to Justimon?" he groaned, looking down and sighing. "This is not going to be easy... I don't even have my D-Arc or any of my cards!"

She laughed. "You don't need those things. Only the will of you and your partner. When you need to evolve, you will."

"My partner..." The little Digimon's face contorted into a frown. "I can't really feel Cyberdramon's presence anymore..."

All the Digimon did was smile and pat him on the head. "You will figure it out."

Hopmon's wings lowered and he sighed as the Digimon pat him on the head and headed off. Eventually other Digimon started to get the idea and backed away as well, returning to the city. Hopmon turned to Ken, biting his lip slightly as he tried to get the hang of moving Hopmon's body. Eventually he managed to get over to the boy and touch his leg hesitantly. "Ken? I'm sorry, Ken."

Ken didn't look up. He didn't even move. He just kept crying. "What's supposed to happen now?" the boy asked, voice muffled and strained.

"I-I need to get back to Justimon!" he answered, eyes wide. "And then Cyberdramon and I can split apart again!" Ken didn't respond this time. In truth, Ken just didn't know how they were supposed to do that right now. Instead he picked up the Hopmon in his arms and started back across the city. There was only silence as he tears fell and landed on Hopmon's face. "Ken? Ken, c'mon, please don't cry... I-It could be worse," he offered meekly, unsure if that was even the right thing to say. Even when Wormmon and Jijimon tried to greet the boy upon his return and ask him what happened, Ken still didn't say anything. He went into the shack, found the first place to lie down, and did so. All while still clutching the small Hopmon to his chest. Hopmon kept trying to get the boy's attention, but Ken had fallen silent and wouldn't respond to the tiny squeaks that had become Ryo's voice. With a heavy-hearted sigh after several attempts at being cheery, he allowed himself to fall asleep in Ken's hands. Jijimon wished the boy had asked for permission before taking his bed, but he understood the feeling hanging in the air.

Ken woke up early the next morning, about an hour after the sun rose. He thanked Jijimon for his help and hospitality before leaving. Since neither Digimon was very fast on its own efforts, Ken walked with Wormmon on his shoulder and Hopmon in his arms. He didn't really know where he was headed, but Ken had no destination in mind, either. "Ken..." Wormmon looked worried as he hung over his boy's shoulder. He wasn't really sure what was going on, having been absent during most of the fight.

"Ken, we need to go that way!" Hopmon was insisting, pointing desperately in the opposite direction.

"Be quiet," Ken mumbled. "I'm mad at you."

"Why?" Wormmon and Hopmon both said in unison, not sure who he was talking to.

"You should know why," he said. Ken took a few more steps before stopping and setting Hopmon down on the ground. Then Ken turned and started to walk away from him.

"Hey!" Hopmon spun around, eyes wide as Ken started to walk off.

"Ken..." Wormmon frowned in that way of his with his eyes. "Ken, you can't just leave him there."

Once he was a few good paces from the blue and gold Digimon, Ken turned and then placed Wormmon on the ground. The boy stood there, watching them with a frown. "Now fight."

"What?" the two of them asked, Wormmon looking over his shoulder in order to look up at Ken. "Wh-why?" Wormmon stammered.

"Because he has to evolve!" Ken shouted at them. "Now fight!"

Hopmon shrunk slightly, and Wormmon turned back to face him with an unsure look on his face. But he figured they couldn't do much else but try. He inched forward, hesitant to attack. "Silk Thread!" he finally exclaimed, shooting a sharp-tipped thread from his mouth.

"Hop Hip!" Hopmon suddenly launched into the air, jumping over the thread and hitting Wormmon on the head with his horn before flipping back onto the ground. Ken hated it. He hated forcing his own Digimon to fight more than he did Ryo. Ryo needed it. Ryo had to evolve. He was only sorry Wormmon would have to get hurt for it. Indigo eyes watched them, intense yet hazy. His fists would clench tighter when one of the Digimon attacked the other. Ken hated it.

Finally Hopmon was at the point that he was breathing heavily and his little wings were touching the ground just to keep him upright. Even though it had seemed like he was winning, he just tired out way more quickly. "Sticky Net!" Wormmon attacked regardless, making a silky net that fell on top of Hopmon. The little Digimon wasn't moving anyway, so it was sort of worthless, but something seemed to change. Hopmon's determined glared suddenly snapped and his beady black eyes got wide. Suddenly he was less like a human and more like a baby Digimon, and burst into tears.

Ken gasped and rushed to Hopmon's side. "Ryo... Ryo..." He wasn't going to tell the little Digimon not to cry. It wouldn't have been fair. Ken knew deep down that Ryo deserved the chance to mourn his situation. "Oh God... I shouldn't have done this," Ken said as he picked the net off the little Digimon and then hugged him. "I'm sorry. I just... I want to fix you so badly." Inside, Ryo didn't even know why he was crying. Ryo barely ever cried. But it seemed like a natural impulse. It made the fight stop and it made Ken pick him up again. He tried to wipe his eyes free of tears with his wings, but it was a fruitless effort since Hopmon's body and voice just continued to wail. "Sshhh... Sshhh... I'm here now," Ken cooed softly. "You're okay, Ryo. I won't make you fight." Even though it was Hopmon's turn to cry, Ken couldn't help the tears in his own eyes. He reached one arm out, gesturing for Wormmon to come over. Wormmon hesitantly approached, antenna drooping as he watched Hopmon cry. It wasn't a quiet sniffling, he was wailing like an infant. Finally, after several long moments, Hopmon's crying finally quieted down. He sniffled occasionally as he wiped his face dry, shaking and squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to stop himself. Ken sat there with both Digimon in his lap. One hand was used to pet down Wormmon's back while the other helped to dry Hopmon's eyes. "I think we might need help," Ken said quietly. "I don't know how to do this, and I can't make you fight those lieutenants like this. Neither of you."

"N-no! I-I can do it!" came a little squeak of a voice, even though it cracked with now wiped away tears. "They're In-Trainings, r-right? S-so I c-can do it!"

Ken shook his head. "No, you aren't ready," he said firmly. "You're too young."

"I'm not young!" he insisted, flapping his wings determinedly. "I'm older than you! Just because I'm in this body with this body's tendancies doesn't mean I'm not capable!"

"Ryo..." Ken sighed. "You cried while trying to fight Wormmon. Those lieutenants will be even tougher on you. No, I have to show up with two Rookies. We'll appear more formidable."

"I didn't meant to cry! Th-this body just did it on its own!" He was still wiping his eyes.

Ken tensed. "Ryo, stop it."

"B-but!" he argued, starting to wriggle in Ken's arms.

"Stop it!" Ken shouted. "I said no!" With that he stood up and started walking again. Just walking.

"Ken, why won't you listen to me?" Hopmon demanded. "I don't need to be coddled just because of a freak accident!"

"You fought a Digimon stronger than you once all ready!" Ken reminded him. "And look what happened! I'm not going to risk you turning into an egg, Ryo! I'm not! I might lose you forever if I do!"

"But if I don't fight, Ken, I'll never get back to the way I was..."

Ken shook his head again. "Ryo, I can't deal with this right now. I need to think, okay? Just let me think... Please."

"Alright..." he squeaked quietly, letting his wings droop. When he fell silent, it wasn't much longer until he fell asleep.

Ken knew for sure then that Ryo wasn't ready to fight. Not in the least. If he was falling into sleep this easily and crying when in a battle, the Ryo was not capable of being in a battle with such high stakes. Like he said before, they needed help. Ken couldn't train two Digimon. He didn't know how. He was barely able to make Wormmon evolve unless his life was in danger. Not like the other chosen Digimon who just did it when they wanted to. Remembering a story once told to him by Taichi and Yamato, Ken got an idea. "We're going to Server, Wormmon. The lieutenants will have to wait."

"What's on Server, Ken?" Wormmon asked, looking up at the boy with curious eyes.

"Someone we need to find," he replied. "Someone who can help."

"I'm not sure I know who you're talking about, Ken..." Wormmon responded quietly.

"I don't remember his name," Ken admitted. "But he helped the others. The first kids. I bet he can help us, too. He can help me raise both of you the right way. I need to do this. For us."

"Alright, Ken... do you know where to find him? Server is a big place, and Ryo's going to be upset if he wakes up and finds out that we left File Island."

"They said he lives in the desert," the boy replied. "So that's where I'll look. As for Ryo... Well, he's not in charge anymore. I am. Ryo isn't capable of taking care of himself. Not right now. You saw him back there."

"You know Ken, he may not have been upset because he was fighting, it might have been just because you had us fighting each other," Wormmon said, trying to explain. "And you know that even if he can't take care of himself like this, he's still going to try."

"I don't know what else to do," Ken said, trying to not sound defeated. "I need help. Besides, you and I need to work on your armor forms, too."

"Well... we can try the DigiEgg of Reliability next, Ken, and I can take us back to Server!"

Ken managed a smile at the news. "Could you really?" It would certainly save him the trouble of trying to build a raft.

"Yeah! I'm sure I could do it!" Wormmon said, nodding his head. "As long as we stop at islands like we did on the way here, and we make sure we're going the right way, I definately could do it! Can you get the DigiEgg from Cody?"

The boy nodded. "Once we get to the ocean, I send him a request for the egg." Ken's smile grew in size and warmth. "Thank you, Wormmon."

"Of course, Ken," Wormmon said, antenna perking up again. "You know... he'll appriciate what you're doing once this is all over and done with. He's just shaken up right now."

"I know. It can't be easy for him. Waking up in a whole new body... I sort of know what that's like," Ken said. "That's why I'm going to try my best to help him through this."

Wormmon nodded his head in understanding, and fell quiet for the rest of the trip. Hopmon didn't wake up when they reached the ocean, and Wormmon was glad for it. He didn't want him running away when they told him that they were going away from the island. "Have you gotten the DigiEgg yet, Ken?" Wormmon asked as the boy clicked away at his D-Terminal. Even if he was trying to be a mediator, Wormmon couldn't hide his excitement over trying a new Armor form.

Ken nodded. "It's transferring right now. Are you sure you know the way to Server, Wormmon?"

"Well... I think I do," Wormmon said, scratching at the back of his head. "I've had to make this trip before, even if I wasn't the one doing the swimming."

"I wonder if my D-Terminal has a map..." Ken pondered aloud as he clicked through different applications. "Oh hey!" Somehow the boy managed to pull up a map on the screen of his device. A small, blinking red dot showed them on one of the larger islands. "This is Server, right?" Ken asked while showing Wormmon.

"That's it, there!" Wormmon said. Server was rather close to File Island in comparison to the other continents.

Ken grinned. "So we can just follow this map to Server! As long as our little dot is moving in the right direction, we're good!" The boy laughed excitedly, proud of himself, and held his hand up for a high five.

Wormmon slapped his claw into his boy's hand, accepting the high-five with an excited laugh. "So is the DigiEgg here yet? I'm ready to set sail!"

Ken laughed. "Calm down. It's here." Ken opened the DigiEgg. "Digimental Up," he said and powered up the evolution.

"Wormmon Armor Digivolve to..." In a flash of light, Wormmon had Digivolved into his new armor form. The light faded to reveal him now a huge, turtle-like creature. He had a green shell with spines down the back, with a yellow head, back fins, and tail sticking out. Instead of front fins, he had huge knives coming out of the front on either side of his head, which had brilliant blue eyes, a pink beak and mane, and two long antenna that looked exactly like Wormmon's, even retaining their light green color. "Archelomon!"

Ken had to take a step back as Wormmon evolved. His Digimon was so large! "Wow," the boy breathed. Ken approached Archelomon again and pet the pink mane on the head that came up around his waist. "You certainly look unique," he said with a grin.

Archelomon grinned, turning his head to look back at his body as much as he could. "Last time I was a bird, this time I'm a turtle!" he laughed, amazed at the difference in his forms. He started to try and work with his fins to try and drag himself into the water. It obviously took some getting used to, especially the sharpness of the blades that acted as his front fins, but he finally managed to get down to the shoreline and slide his shell across the surf and into the water. "Is there enough space on my shell for you, Ken?" he asked as he slapped his tail down onto the sand for use as a bridge.

"I think so." Ken picked up the sleeping Hopmon he'd carefully set on the warm sand. He walked along Archelomon's tail, trying not to step too hard, and sat between the tallest spike and the Digimon's head, putting his feet on the pale edge of the shell. "This is comfortable enough. I can tell you which way to go now, too."

"Alright, good, kame," Archelomon said, only to stop and frown slightly, not quite sure where his little accent had suddenly sprung from. He shrugged it off and pushed himself off of the shore. By turning his fins sideways, he easily propelled himself across the water.

Ken closed his eyes as the wind picked up, cooling his face and blowing his long hair back slightly. There was a time when Ken wouldn't go anywhere near the ocean. For over a year he refused to even set foot on the beach in Odaiba. Slowly he'd overcome that fear. The ocean still wasn't Ken's favorite place to be, but he could admit to its beauty and tranquility. "How does it feel to be able to swim Wor- I mean, Archelomon?"

"It feels great, kame!" Archelomon answered with a laugh as he sped up a bit, making sure he didn't go too fast as to not throw Ken off. The wind blew through his pink mane and his antenna streamed on either side of him. "I've never swam in anything more expansive than a bath tub!"

"And I don't even have to hold you up," Ken added. It made the boy so very happy to see his Digimon having such a good time. Ken knew Wormmon was often disappointed by his size and slow pace. It made a lot of things difficult for him. Now, though, sharing the other kids DigiEggs meant a whole new world of possibilities for his Digimon. Ken reached forward to pet Archelomon's mane again. Silent and smiling.

The trip was peaceful, just Archelomon sailing across the water and Ken occasionally pointing him in the right direction. That was until the sleepy Hopmon started to wake up. He blinked his tiny eyes open slowly, looking confused, only to realize where he was and for them to suddenly snap open. "W-why are we on the ocean?" he squeaked.

Ken pat him on the horn. "It's okay. Calm down. We're going to Server. Wormmon evolved into Archelomon and is taking us there," he explained.

"Server? B-but we can't! What about the officers!" he gasped, trying to wriggle out of Ken's grasp.

"Ryo, stop! You won't be able to swim if you fall!" Ken said, trying to hold onto Hopmon. "We're going to Server to train. You need practice fighting in this body, and I need to work with Wormmon and his new forms. There's a Digimon on Server who can help us with that. Taichi and Yamato told me about him."

"Sure I can swim! And I'll swim all the way back if I need to!" Hopmon squeaked stubbornly. Archelomon looked over his shoulder with a slight frown on his face.

"Even if it's Ryo talking, he sure has Cyberdramon's attitude, kame."

Ken sighed, getting a little frustrated. "Ryo, could you please just try to calm down?" Hopmon's mouth opened to argue, but eventually closed as he huffed, crossing his little wings in front of his face. "You really need to work on your attitude," Ken told him.

"Maybe this mentor, whoever they are, can help him with that as well as training," Archelomon suggested.

"I sure hope so," Ken sighed. "He's like me when I was a kid, and God knows I hate who I was back then."

"I'm sure he'll be embarrassed about it once he becomes human again, kame," Archelomon laughed. He looked up at the sky, and hummed quietly. "Maybe we should pick a place to dock for the night soon."

He looked down at the electronic map. "If you bear east a little, there should be something there for us to rest on."

"Alright, kame. Hold on," Archelomon said, turning his fins to spin his shell in the right direction. The island was fairly small, maybe only two miles across both ways. Ferns grew thick, big, and close together just up from the shore line. As they got closer, Ken could see fruit trees more inward. It almost seemed like rings of foliage and he wondered what would be in the center of it all. Archelomon dragged himself up onto shore. As soon as he was out of the water, he devolved back into Wormmon, throwing Ken onto the sand. His antenna stood up in alarm. "S-sorry, Ken!" he apologized, quickly bustling over to him. Hopmon spat sand out of his mouth and lept out of Ken's hand, landing on the sand and shaking his wings free of it.

Ken wiped the sand off his face and from his hair, but was smiling gently. "It's all right, Wormmon. Accidents happen. I'm sure you're tired, too. How about we look for some food?" he asked. Indigo eyes glanced at the little Hopmon with the grumpy face. Ken was temped to pick the small creature up and carry him, but Hopmon had been rather indignent since he woke up. "You guys okay to follow me around?" The two of them nodded, silent for different reasons. They followed Ken into the forest of the island. Hopmon seemed a little upset that he had to bounce in order to move, and it made him even slower than Wormmon, but he insisted and kept at it as they headed for the fruit trees.

Ken made sure to walk slowly so the Digimon could keep up. It was fairly easy since he was looking for suitable food at the same time. At one point, amongst the ferns, he found vines growing with strawberries. Palm sized strawberries that were yellow with blue spots. Ken slipped the bag off his shoulder, opened it, and began filling it with the strawberries. While looking up into the trees, he saw some purple bananas. Another one of Tai's stories came to mind and made Ken pass on the fruit. Oddly enough, on what seemed to be a somewhat tropical island, Ken found an appled tree. Like real world apples, they were red, but when the boy bit into it, juice dribbled all down his chin. Ken looked and saw that the inside was like an orange. How ironic. "Ken?" Hopmon caught up to him and started to tug on his pant leg. "Ken, we're hungry. When are we gonna find a place to camp?"

"Hm?" Indigo eyes glanced down at the little blue and gold Digimon. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ryo. Here..." Ken knelt down and poured some of the fruit he'd found in front of the pair. "You two eat while I look for a place for us to sleep, okay? I'll come back when I find something."

"Alright," Hopmon said, nodding his head. He and Wormmon quickly took to the fruit, Wormmon watching a bit worriedly as Ken headed off. He couldn't help but always be nervous of his boy going off alone in unfamiliar places.

As Ken searched the island of trees and ferns, he began to realize it was just that. Trees and ferns. He saw some strange, sleepy faced Digimon sort of trudging around, but they paid him no attention, so neither did Ken to them. It was getting dark fast and Ken still hadn't found anything. He supposed sleeping in the underbrush of the ferns would have to be good enough. "Sorry guys," he said upon returning. "There's just nothing here."

"There's no Hiding Trees?" Hopmon asked, now playing with the leafy top of what was left of his dinner.

It was obvious that Ken didn't understand what Hopmon meant when he replied that, "None of them are big enough to support us."

"No Ken. Did you try sticking your hand in any of the trunks? There has to be shelter somewhere, or else nothing would live here. I'm sure there's some Hiding Trees." He put down the leaves and started to hop off, turning back just to wave with a little wing for Ken and Wormmon to follow him. "I'll find us one, c'mon!"

Ken sighed in disappointment with himself. "Ryo is one level away from being a Baby Digimon and he's still the one who has to take care of me..."

"He's also one level from being a Rookie Digimon, and you and I take care of each other back and forth," Wormmon reminded him as he started to follow Hopmon. "Besides, even if he is in a Digimon body, he still has the mind of the boy who's lived here a lot longer than we have."

"Except he's not a boy," Ken said quietly. "Ryo is a man now, Wormmon. I'm the one who's still a boy. Fours years between us never seemed like much when we were younger. Ryo was just the cool big kid who hung out with me. Now... Now I'm just peaking puberty and he's almost old enough to marry."

"Marry, huh?" Wormmon murmured, looking forward. "I don't know if he would, even though he can."

Ken shook his head. "Well of course he wouldn't, but that's not the point. Of course..." The boy paused in quiet contemplation. "He might marry Rika, if given the chance."

"But would she marry him?" Wormmon asked. "He might ask, but he always talks about her laughing at him or making fun of him."

"Girls are like that, though. Either they flirt with you or they make fun of you. If a girl has no interest in you, she snubs you. Besides, at that age, kids tease the one's they like." Ken looked up, hoping to see the sky, but all he saw were branches and leaves overlapping each other. "It sounded like they have similar personalities. Rika, from what I understand, is a very strong and independent girl. Ryo is the same way. Why would Rika go for someone weaker than herself? There's no taste in that. I'm sure if she came back, we would see her real feelings. However she chooses to express them."

"Well... if she comes back now, she's in for a shock," Wormmon said, tapping his claws together as he watched Hopmon determinedly check each and every tree that looked big enough to be a Hiding Tree. "I'm sure Ryo would not want her to find him like this."

Ken nodded. "Then I guess we had better get him back to normal."


	11. Mentor

"Found one!" Hopmon called from up ahead. He waved them over, and then pointed to a tree he had found. It was tall, and had a thick trunk, but no visible points of entry. "Go on inside, we can stay here for the night."

Ken approached the tree with a look of curious doubt on his face. He looked down at Hopmon and then back at the tree. Cautiously his hand reached forward and slipped through the trunk of the tree, causing Ken to gasp and pull his hand back. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"Sure! I've stayed in these tons of times. As long as nothing else tries to get in, we won't have a problem." He took a leap into the tree, vanishing through the trunk. Wormmon cautiously followed after him, putting his head in first and then slipping the rest of his body inside. The inside of the tree's trunk looked almost metallic, a shining silver in color, but still felt organic. Ken followed slowly in after them. The inside of the tree felt cold just from the color, but he supposed it would have to do. Ken tested the opposite side of the tree and found that it was solid. Apparently there was only one way in and out. He leaned against it and slid down onto the floor with a tired sigh. It had been a long day. Hopmon had poked back outside to make sure nothing had followed them, and returned after a quick scan of the area. Wormmon let out a long breath and curled up on Ken's lap, promptly closing his eyes.

Ken was quiet as he pet down Wormmon's back, helping soothe his Digimon to sleep. When the little Hopmon returned, he looked up and asked, "Why did you try to fight him?"

"I couldn't just let him attack the city. At least fighting him gave the Virus-types enough time to evacuate," he said, as he came to sit next to Ken.

"You could have just stalled him," Ken said. "We would have gotten them out in time."

"Well, I'm sorry," Hopmon murmured. "But when you're staring down the barrel of a cannon weilded by one of your childhood heros... It's sort of hard to think straight."

Ken turned his head down, hair hiding his eyes. "I hope we can fix you..."

"I hope so too," he said, sighing quietly and leaning back against the wall. "I feel bad for Cyberdramon."

"Can you feel him at all yet?" the boy asked.

"No," was the answer, as Hopmon's body shook in what would have normally been a shaking of his head. "I know he's there, but his presence isn't awake. It probably won't be until I can get to the Rookie stage, since Cyberdramon has only actually been Hopmon twice. Three times if you count before he was infected, but I'm not sure if he remembers that."

Ken was quiet, but then, "You have his temper."

Hopmon's little face turned up to look at Ken's. "What?"

"You have Cyberdramon's temper," he repeated. "You've been a little nasty lately, Ryo."

"Oh... I'm sorry," he answered quietly, turning away again. "I didn't mean to."

"I know... I'm just trying to help you, Ryo. You know that, right?"

"Yes, of course I do, Ken. I just... apologize if I act up. I haven't really adjusted to this body."

Ken nodded. "I understand." He lifted his head, smiling, but with tired eyes. "Just don't try to jump into the ocean anymore, okay?"

"Alright," the little Digimon responded with a sort of embarrassed laugh.

"You slept for a long time... Are you even tired?" Ken asked, still petting down Wormmon's back.

"No, not really," Hopmon answered with a small shake. "You guys seemed pretty tired, though."

"Yeah, but I think I need to keep an eye on you," said the boy. "With Cyberdramon's arrogance in you, you might wander off to pick a fight you can't win. And we know that's the last thing you need to do right now."

Hopmon sighed quietly, leaning back against the side of the tree. "I don't like the idea of not being able to really control my own actions."

Ken nodded. "But it's not really your fault. I mean... I know what it's like."

"Yeah," he murmured, nodding. "I'm glad you understand. If I was dealing with anyone else they might have thought I was just being selfish."

"Dad thought I was being selfish. Mom thought I was depressed and angry. I would scream for no reason, break things, kick people, say mean things... So they sent me to a therapist. It didn't help."

"Millenniummon... what he did was terrible." Even though he protested to not being sleepy, he leaned against Ken's side and found himself fighting closing his eyes. "I wish I could have eradicated him before he hurt the people close to me."

Ken put a hand around Hopmon, keeping him close. "At least he's gone now. He can't hurt anybody... Not anybody else."

"He still hurts people. Through Cyberdramon," Hopmon murmured. "Every time Cyberdramon flies off the handle and goes after someone, it's because of Millenniummon's blood in him."

"He can't do evil things anymore, though. Remember what you said, Ryo? Be positive. Millenniummon can't infect anyone. He can't control anyone. He can't try and destroy the world. He's contained in Cyberdramon, who has a good side, too."

"Yeah... I suppose it's better than him being out and able to rampage," he said with a small nod. "I just wish I could set my partner free."

Ken was quiet again. "I want to be free, too..."

"And so do I." Hopmon turned to look up at the boy. "Everyone had something that binds them, Ken."

"Daisuke didn't... Nothing held him back. He wasn't afraid of anything, tied down by anything. He was always moving forward. He was always happy. And..." Ken swallowed. "He always got what he wanted."

"Are you sure about that, Ken?" Hopmon shook slightly. "You can't be. Not unless you got inside his head."

Ken nodded. "He said so himself. In our last fight with MaloMyotismon, we all fell under his spell. We saw, we experienced, our deepest desires. Only it didn't work on Daisuke. MaloMyotismon asked him, 'Don't you have any dissatisfaction or worries?' Daisuke answered, 'No, I don't. I am very happy right now. I have my friends, family, and Digimon. I have nothing to be worried about or unsatisfied with.' And he's been that way always."

"Is that so..." Hopmon's eyes turned away to look at the floor. "That must be an amazing feeling. How can he be like that?"

"I don't know. I was so jealous, but I loved him for it, too. Of course... That was my mistake."

Hopmon frowned gently. "What do you mean by that, Ken?

"Exactly what I said," Ken replied. "I made the mistake of loving Daisuke. Although, maybe I never really did. Maybe he just reminded me of you." The boy shrugged. "Either way, I made an idiot out of my self for it."

The little Digimon suddenly seemed interested, though his face was drawn betweeen curious eyes and a frown on his lips. "What happened?"

Ken sighed. He hated telling the story, always feeling foolish and embarrassed for it. "We'd gotten close since Daisuke started helping me recover from the Kaiser's control. I must have... mis-read his intentions, for whatever reason. Hurt, lonely, scared, depressed... Those feelings can lead you to make up a hundred things in your head. Daisuke called me up one day and asked if I wanted to go to the park. I was so excited. I thought maybe this would be it, but..." Ken laughed, ashamed. "I got all dolled up. I wore these new shorts I got. They were a little smaller than most boy's shorts. I would only wear them for Daisuke. I wore this light blue shirt he always told me he liked. I guess he was just being nice. The sleeves came down to my elbows and showed off my shoulders. I even clipped my hair back so it wouldn't get in my face. I ran all the way there to meet him, but when I got to the park..." The boy fell silent. It was a few moments before he went on. "Kari was with him. She was wearing a dress. A white dress with pink plaid and yellow jewelry. They were holding hands. It was awful. They just stared at me. They could tell what I was thinking, what I had been expecting. It was on my face and in my clothes. Daisuke turned his eyes from me... So I ran away."

Hopmon listened to the story with an interested look on his face. His unsure frown soon became more one of pity when Ken reached the end of the story. "Oh... I'm sorry to hear that, Ken," he squeaked quietly. "And you haven't talked to him since?"

The boy shook his head. "Only briefly between the two of us, or if we're out in a group together."

"Maybe you should talk to him about it when you get back to the real world. He sounds like a good friend. You shouldn't let that slip through your fingers."

"He's too nervous to be alone around me," Ken said. "I guess if anything gets to Daisuke, it's his awkward nerves."

"Don't let that stop you, Ken!" Hopmon insisted. "If you let him keep away from you because he's nervous, he's just going to be nervous forever!"

Ken sighed and leaned his head back against the side of the tree. "It's not like it matters now. He's with Kari and I'm here. So... I don't know..."

Hopmon's wings fluttered slightly, and he landed in Ken's lap next to Wormmon. "Well... just take life as it comes, Ken. You never know what could happen. I've learnt that."

"Yeah..." Ken couldn't fight it anymore. Indigo eyes slid shut and led directly to him falling asleep.

Despite a bit of concern from Hopmon over Wormmon's new form, Archelomon was able to carry them to Server without much trouble. Though he had to stop and rest occasionally, he never devolved in the middle of the ocean, and that's all that Ken could have asked of him. Hopmon still had a tendency to act up, especially after having ridden on Archelomon's back all day, but he seemed to be trying to keep his attitude under control and would often be very embarrassed of the way he acted after he ate or slept and his conciousness seemed to come back to him. He hated acting the way he did, but when he got very tired or hungry he just couldn't seem to stop himself from being sort of a brat. Wormmon theorized it wasn't just because of Cyberdramon inside of him, but it was also just because he was stuck in an infant's body. But Hopmon would argue that his body had nothing to do with it, and it must have been because of his dual minds. Either way, the trip to Server wasn't without its struggles, but Archelomon finally got up onto the continent's shores with a triumphant, "Here we are, kame!"

Ken grinned when they landed on shore. He jumped off Archelomon's back before he could devolve. "Good job, Wormmon!" he said to the little Digimon now back in his Rookie form. "According to Yamato's story, we'll find the mentor in the desert."

"Well which way is it to the desert?" Wormmon asked as he scuttled out of the water before the surf could sweep him back into it.

"That way," Hopmon said nonchalantly, pointing a little wing into the distance.

"Carry or follow?" Ken asked the both of them.

"We can walk," they both insisted. "At least until we get into the sand," Hopmon added. "It might get hard for us then."

Ken nodded. "All right." They set off across the beach in the direction Hopmon had pointed them. Sand and pale reeds soon turned into a sparse evergreen forest. Berries from a bush and honey Ken found dripping from a tree served as lunch before the area opened into a vast expanse of sand, sand, and more sand.

"This place looks like it stretches on forever," Wormmon murmured, now perched upon Ken's shoulder as Hopmon was carried in the boy's arms. "Are you sure you don't want me to evolve into something to help you across, Ken?" the Digimon asked worriedly as he noticed that Ken was struggling to keep his footing on the sand.

"No, no, you've done enough all ready, Wormmon. I can make it just fine." Ken continued to work on getting his footing. "Besides, I think Bullmon would sink just as easily, Quetzalmon flies too wildly, and I think everything else is too small."

"What about Searchmon?" Hopmon asked, looking up at Ken from his arms. "He's a big bug that's made for crossing hard-to-cross terrains."

"Really?" Ken bit his lip. "I don't want to make Wormmon work that hard."

"I can do it, Ken!" Wormmon insisted. "I'm your partner, I'm supposed to help you out!"

Ken grinned. "You just swam an entire ocean the past few days. Let me carry you at least for a little while."

Wormmon nodded his head, allowing his boy what Ken must have felt was his fair share of work. Time dragged on without any chance of them finding their destination in the huge, open desert seeming to exist. Hopmon let out a breath and looked up again. "Searchmon's got a radar too..." he said in a sort of sing-songy voice.

There was a sigh. "They said it's hidden. Cloaked. Could he find it even then?" Ken wiped the sweat off his face. It was so hot out here. The air rippled with heat waves, distorting the dunes in the distance.

"Maybe not, but he would certainly have a better chance than us wandering around aimlessly," Hopmon said, frowning. "If you pass out we're pretty much done for."

"I suppose... Which egg do I need for that?"

"Knowledge," Hopmon responded.

Ken nodded and pulled out his D-Terminal. He sent a set of messages in order to get Cody's second egg. "Okay, Wormmon. On the ground."

Wormmon hopped down onto the sand, turning around to look at Ken expectantly. "Ready, Ken!"

"Digimental Up," Ken announced and aimed for the beam.

This time, when Wormmon Digivolved, the loud sound of metal clanking against metal resonated from behind the glowing light that engulfed him. "Wormmon Armor Digivolve to..." When it faded, it revealed what looked like a metallic bug of silver and blue. He had three sets of legs that easily held him up above the ground, and red eyes that would glow when the light of the day started to dwindle. Like Archelomon, he still had his Wormmon-like antenna, but they were also clad in metal. Upon his back was a flat radar disc with the Crest of Knowledge etched upon its silver surface in dark blue. "Searchmon!"

Ken certainly wasn't expecting a machine type Digimon, but he was hardly disappointed. "Yet another surprise," he said proudly. "If we sit on your back, will it disrupt your radar?"

"I think it'll be fine," Searchmon whirred in a voice that sounded like a robotic Wormmon. "Climb on." Once Ken had sat himself on the plate, Hopmon leaned over the edge to watch as Searchmon's eyes lit up and started to scan the area. They sat there for a few moments as Searchmon's head moved back and forth, scanning, but he suddenly picked something up with a loud ding and his six legs set into motion towards whatever he had found.

Although he wouldn't say it, Ken was glad to not be walking anymore. The sun was still terribly hot, but at least he wasn't having to trek through it. Ken's face was turning pink and his shoulders were already red. Even tying his hair up wasn't keeping the sweat from forming at the nape and dripping down his back. "How..." the boy swallowed to try and wet his throat. "How far do you think it is?"

"Not too much farther," Searchmon buzzed back.

"Hopefully this blip on the radar is actually what we're looking for," Hopmon murmured worriedly. "You don't look so good, Ken. We should see if we can find shade..."

Ken shook his head weakly. "If we look... for shade... then we'll be... be farther from... where we need... to be."

"But Ken..." Hopmon murmured, his wings drooping. "You're going to seriously get yourself hurt by constantly sticking out your neck like this."

"Constantly?" Ken frowned and looked down at Hopmon. "I think that's an... an exaggeration, Ryo."

"No it isn't. You're always trying to be a help, even if it means sacrificing yourself! And that's a great quality, Ken, but not when you're putting yourself at serious risk."

Ken wiped more sweat from his forehead with an even deeper frown. "Name... Name one time."

"How about the time you ran all the way across town and showed up at my door about ready to fall over one morning because you realized I'd forgotten my homework at your house?" the little Digimon squeaked. "Or the time you dove in front of a motorcycle just so your brother's glasses wouldn't get run over?"

"You would have gotten... in trouble," Ken insisted. "And... And my parents... would have to pay... a lot of... of money for... new glasses."

"They would have also have had to pay a lot of money for your funeral," Hopmon huffed. "You're lucky he shouted and got the guy to stop! I nearly had a heart attack that time."

Ken weakly pat Hopmon on his head. "Well nothing happened... to me then, and... nothing will... will happen to me now."

Hopmon laughed quietly, managing a small smile. "Now you just sound like me. Which means you sound totally crazy."

"Just hot..." Ken replied as he laid down on the disk, curling on his side. "And tired..."

"Ken?" Hopmon touched the boy's forehead, biting his lip slightly. "Ken, are you going to be-"

"There!" Searchmon suddenly sped up, jerking forward and making Hopmon nearly fly off the disk. Luckily the little Digimon grabbed onto the edge before he was flung into the sand, and it wasn't long before Searchmon skidded to a stop in front of his discovery.

"Is that a well?" Hopmon asked as he scrambled back up onto the disk and peered over the opposite side.

Ken opened one eye, trying to see. "It'll be dry out here..."

"We might as well check it! If anything it might be cool and shaded down there. C'mon, Ken," Hopmon insisted, pulling on the boy's arm to try and drag him upright, even if it was fruitless. Ken got onto his hands and knees, crawling to the edge of the disk. He set his legs on the ground and stumbled toward the well. He grabbed onto its ledge for support. Hopmon's concerned expression was now coupled with as much of a concerned expression as Searchmon could manage as Hopmon flitted over to the edge of the well too. There was a small roof over it and a rope going down. Searchmon got up on his hind legs, his middle pair propping him up against the side of the well as his front set started to pull on the rope until a bucket clanged against the top pole. Hopmon checked inside and frowned. "Empty..."

"You tried," the boy said with one of his smiles. The smile that meant he was genuinely all right with failed attempt because he was just grateful for the effort. Ken got down and crawled around to the side of the well where a short shadow was cast. It was enough. He laid down on his side again in the shade where the heat wasn't so cruel. "I just need... a few minutes."

"You need more than that, Ken. It's brutal out here," Hopmon said as he came to join the boy on the shady side of the well. "Maybe we should wait until nightfall to keep going."

Indigo eyes opened partially to look at the small Digimon. "How come... you aren't... hot?"

"I've been in worse heat than this," he said quietly.

Ken frowned. "What could be worse... than this?" he asked, moaning at the thought of anything hotter.

"Fire," Hopmon answered.

Slowly his eyes closed and opened again. "Impossible..."

"It's very possible in a world full of creatures that can shoot fire from their mouths, their hands, and pretty much almost anywhere else."

"Burns..." Ken argued, though weakly.

"Why don't Digimon that get attacked by fireballs get burns?" He posed the question while hopping down into the sand.

The boy was quiet. Most likely he was thinking, but it was also possible that he fell asleep, or fainted. "They're Digimon," Ken finally answered.

"Is Justimon a Digimon?" Hopmon asked.

"Mhmm..."

"So therefore Justimon doesn't get burns," he concluded as he came to rest next to Ken in the small shadow.

Indigo eyes slid shut as he hummed. Again, the reason for Ken's silence was uncertain, but after a while he looked at Hopmon again. "I love you," Ken said, slightly dazed.

Little black eyes went wide. "What?" he asked, for lack of any other reaction besides gaping like a earthbound fish.

A small, weak smile played on Ken's lips. "I love you," he said again, willing to repeat it as often as he needed to.

Hopmon looked away, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. "Please, Ken, this isn't the time for saying stuff like that."

There was a long pause where Ken blinked. "Like what?"

Hopmon stared for just as long of a moment before letting out a sigh. "Nothing. Searchmon?" The huge metallic bug came around their side of the well. "We need to find him water and a place to rest. Can you start scanning?" Searchmon nodded, before heading out a few paces onto the sand and starting to scan the horizon with his glowing red eyes.

"Do you mind?" said a small, but strong voice, coming from what seemed like nowhere.

Hopmon and Searchmon both jumped at the sudden fourth voice, spinning around to look for where it was coming from. "Wh-who's there?" Hopmon demanded.

"Whatever it is that you're doing, it's messing up my television!" Suddenly, the air next to them rippled as something emerged. The Digimon was only a little larger than a baseball and covered with pink fur save for his face, hands, and feet which were skin colored. Small white wings fluttered on his back while big black eyes stared irritated at the trio. "Now which one of you is making all that static?"

"S-s-sorry!" Searchmon stammered, his eyes instantly flicking off.

Hopmon looked at the Digimon for a moment before flapping his wings to try and get to eye-level with him. "We were just trying to find our way through this desert."

"Through the desert huh?" The pink Digimon looked in one direction and then the opposite way. "Long way to go not matter which way you go." He looked down at the unmoving boy with closed eyes. "Dragging dead weight never helps either," he added.

"Hey!" Hopmon puffed up his cheeks angrily. "You better watch your mouth, guy!"

The Digimon shrugged. "I call them as I see them, kid."

"Well you're making a pretty unfair judgement call. Of course he's going to be resting, we've been out in the sun all day!" Hopmon was bravely running his mouth while the much larger and more intimidating Searchmon was approaching the newcomer rather meekly.

"Hm, I see," said the pink Digimon with a nod. "A strange pair you two are, and the dead weight. What exactly are you doing out here anyway?" he asked with a hand to his non-existent chin.

"Well... we're looking for a mentor," Hopmon tried to explain. "I have no idea who he is, only Ken knows, but apparently he's supposed to be able to help us train. Ken's friends knew him or something."

He nodded again. "A mentor, huh? I think I know who you're looking for, yup yup!" he exclaimed.

"Really? Can you show us where to find him?" Hopmon asked, eyes widening in excitement.

"Of course! Will you be bringing your potato sack with you?" he asked and gestured to Ken.

"Don't call him that," Hopmon said with a pout as he gestured for Searchmon to go get the boy. Balancing on four legs, Searchmon's front two picked Ken up and placed him on top of the disc on his back.

The pink Digimon just laughed. "Come then, come then." He turned and flew back the way he came, causing the air to ripple as he vanished. "Hurry!" his voice called. "This mentor of yours won't wait forever!"

Hopmon's eyes widened. "A portal?" he murmured aloud. He suddenly wished he'd known. It would have made his first trip through Server's desert a lot nicer. As he and Searchmon passed through the portal, they found themselves in a steamy jungle. Even though it was humid, it almost felt like a blast of cool air was hitting them in comparison to the desert's heat. Atop a mountain in the distance, Hopmon could see a large house with a winding staircase leading up to it. "That must be the place," he murmured, as he landed next to Ken on Searchmon's back, and Searchmon started to follow the path towards the place.

"So, if you're looking for training, then I suppose you're Chosen Digimon, am I right?" asked the pink one as he flew ahead of him. "Never heard of a child having two Digimon, I must say. Interesting indeed. Yup yup!"

"I'm not his Digimon, only Searchmon is," Hopmon explained. "I'm just... his friend. But I need help too."

"Well as long as you come with good intentions, you will be accepted." He turned and watched as Searchmon slowly made his way up the stairs. "Don't drag!" he declared. "You'll lose the sun before you reach the top!"

Searchmon tried to speed up, but he was too worried about Ken accidentally slipping off to go as fast as he could. When he reached the top, they were indeed losing sunlight, but there was just enough light to lead them into the huge house atop the plateau. "So... who's this mentor, anyway?" Hopmon asked, looking up at the high ceiling. "He's got a huge place..."

The pink Digimon laughed mischieviously. "You like it?"

"It's... impressive. Probably one of the biggest houses I've ever seen in the Digital World."

"I built it myself, yup yup!" he exclaimed proudly and flew around the room.

"This is your house?" Hopmon stared at the tiny Digimon, then up at the high ceiling. "I... never would have guessed."

A spear-headed staff suddenly appeared in the flying Digimon's hand which his then rapped Hopmon on the head with. "Don't make assumptions!" he scolded. "Big things can come in small packages. I am one of those things, because I am Piximon!"

"Piximon?" Hopmon asked. He had no idea who this Digimon was, and suddenly, he felt a rush of excitement unlike anything he'd ever felt before. The Digital World finally had something new to offer him. He'd been brought to a place he'd never seen before, and was meeting a Digimon he hadn't met. "Are... you the mentor that those Taichi and Yamato kids told Ken about?"

"I am, yup yup! I helped the Chosen Children way back in the day. Two of them found their crests here. Taichi was the one who needed training the most. He couldn't inspire his Agumon to evolve. That just wouldn't do!" Piximon exclaimed, fluttering about.

"Really?" Hopmon asked, as Searchmon followed Piximon deeper into the house. "I actually... need help with evolving, too. I need to get to a higher form as soon as possible."

Piximon shook his head. "Train in the morning, you will. Food, bath, and sleep first. You can't do anything until your potato sack is feeling better anyway."

"Would you quit calling him that? His name's Ken," Hopmon sighed, as the more meek Searchmon simply began to follow Piximon deeper into the house.

"Well, see, now that helps," the pink one replied. "Ken needs rest. I'm sure you all need rest. Nothing gets accomplished if you fall asleep in the middle of a fight."

"I suppose that's true," Hopmon argeed, if a bit huffily, still irritated by Piximon's flippantry.

Meanwhile, Ken was finally coming to. Indigo eyes blinked open and his lifted his head. The boy looked around, at once appearing confused. "Wh-Where are we?"

"The house of that mentor you were talking about," Hopmon said as the boy's eyes trailed onto him. "He found us once you fell asleep."

Ken rubbed at his eyes. "I'm not so sure I fell asleep... but it feels much nicer here. It isn't nearly as hot."

"First you will eat," Piximon announced as he pushed open two grand doors revealing a very long table sitting low to the ground that was covered in food.

"Why did he already have a feast ready..." Hopmon murmured as he and Ken dismounted from Searchmon, finally allowing him to devolve back into Wormmon again. They approached the table, but, skeptic, Hopmon put up his wing, forbidding them from even touching the stuff until he'd sniffed at it, poked at it, and made sure it was safe.

Ken's stomach groaned loudly at him. "Ryo, I'm sure it's fine," he said, hands on his aching belly.

"Of course it is!" Piximon flew over the table, ripped off a turkey leg, and took a big bite out of the thing. "I'm the great Piximon! Don't you think I'd eat like a king every night? Now I have guests to share the meal with."

"And yet he's the size of a tennis ball," Hopmon sighed as he allowed Ken and Wormmon to start eating. He ate too, but with a puss on his face, finding a place on the table and only nibbling on what was within reach.

Ken ate slowly so as not to get sick, but he certainly ate his fill. The boy managed half the turkey on his own, two bowls of fruit, a plate of vegetables, pork buns, yogurt, and two desserts. It seemed Ryo's theory about not needing to eat when in the Digital World wasn't completely accurate. Not for Ken. "I like this kid's appetite!" Piximon laughed. Hopmon seemed a little bitter about who Ken had chosen to get help from and just sort of snorted, but Wormmon laughed as well and nodded his head. He was glad to see Ken eating. After all, Ken had a habit of fasting when he was worried or felt bad, and Wormmon had feared that Ken would stop eating due to Ryo's condition. He was just glad he didn't have to worry about that.

"Ryo..." Ken said quietly. "He's just a little eccentric. Taichi told me he's great when it comes to training. Maybe he'll mello out after a little while."

"I don't like his attitude," Hopmon huffed back, wings drooping. "I've dealt with eccentric Digimon before, and even harsh mentors, but he's... kind of offensive."

"Offensive?" Ken looked at Piximon and then back at Hopmon. "What did he say to you? I'll talk to him."

"He kept calling you a potato sack when you were passed out," Hopmon grumbled.

Ken blinked. "I'm sure he was only teasing."

"Still didn't appreciate it," Hopmon huffed.

"I'll talk to him," Ken said and pat Hopmon on the head. "Don't worry about it."

Hopmon let out a long breath, shaking his head. "I may just be tired."

Ken pet his head a bit softer now. "We'll take that bath Piximon was talking about and then we'll go to bed, all right? Here, try this..." He said and places a chocolate pastry in front of Hopmon. "It has strawberry creme inside."

Hopmon was quiet for a moment, but then offered the boy a smile and took the pastry between tiny wings. "Thanks, Ken." Once they were finished, Piximon quickly corralled them upstairs to a room devoted exclusively to a huge bath, already filled with steaming hot water.

"Wow," Wormmon breathed, obviously impressed.

"I know..." Ken said with a nod. The water flowed down from some rocks that disappeared up into the mist rising off the water. There were even large yellow and blue flowers growing around the stone basin, and if it wasn't the Digital World, Ken might have wondered how they were growing indoors like this. The boy slowly stripped while the two Digimon hung around his feet. Hopmon bit his lip slightly, inching around the perimiter of the tub until he found a place to get in. He hopped into the water and quickly discovered that he floated, squealing in surprise when he was unable to keep upright and started to float on his back. Wormmon found a slightly more shallow place in the bath where he could touch the stone floor while in the water. Ken took his turn stepping into the water. He left Wormmon on the shallow ledge knowing his Digimon felt safer there. Instead he made his way over to the Hopmon who was wriggling humorously on his back. "Do you want my help?" Ken asked.

"No! No, I'm fine," Hopmon said, laughing as he tried to backstroke using his wings. It worked, for the most part. "It's just... hard to swim when your entire body is your head."

The boy laughed and nodded. "Well I'm going to scrub you down in a few minutes, all right? No arguments."

"No, no, I can do it myself," Hopmon insisted. He got the hang of the backstroke and made his way over to the soap sitting on the side of the bath, only to groan when he realized he'd neglected to take into account that it was almost as big as he was. "Great..."

"C'mon, Ryo, I give really good baths," Ken said as he followed the little blue and gold Digimon. "Just ask Wormmon."

"But..." Hopmon tried to come up with a good argument, but there was really nothing to say. He couldn't even hold soap. "Alright..."

"Don't think of it as help," Ken insisted with a smile. "Think of it as pampering. Everyone loves a good pampering."

"I'm not really the pampered type," Hopmon sighed as Ken picked him up out of the water, stopping his flailing.

Ken held the little Hopmon against his stomach and picked up the soap. "Well now maybe can be your chance to enjoy it," he said. Ken began washing him, starting with his back, getting between and around the two small horns.

Hopmon let out another long breath, his wings drooping into the water. He let Ken wash his scales, which was a very weird thing to feel. "How quickly do you think I can get to Rookie with this guy's help?" he asked suddenly.

"If Piximon is as good as Taichi and Yamato made him sound, you should be a Rookie in a matter of days," Ken replied. "Lift this wing, please."

Hopmon did as he was told. "I hope so. I miss having legs. Reminds me of the time I got them crushed under a rock and they wouldn't work for a while, but at least then I had arms to fall back on. These wings don't cut it... I don't know how Digimon deal with it."

"I'm sure when you're born with it, you know how to use them efficiently," Ken said.

"Makes sense..." Hopemon responded quietly. He was quiet for a moment, before looking up. "Hey, Ken? Do you remember what you said out in the desert by any chance?"

"Hm?" Ken thought for a while, trying to remember all that was said. "I remember... Talking about how reckless you think I am. I remember laying down by the well. I was really hot. I was thinking about things... I was never strong enough to say. Then I sai- Oh..."

Hopmon let out a breath, nodding his head. "Yeah. Ken... Just... I understand, it was hot, and you were tired, but, u-uh... can we save that stuff for until I'm human again?"

Ken nodded shakily. "I... I didn't mean it. I hadn't meant to say that out loud. I wasn't thinking straight. Can... Can you forget that I said it? I know you don't need something like that right now."

"It's fine, Ken," Hopmon murmured, smiling slightly. "I've been in that situation before, but... you know, as a human. I just... feel so helpless right now," he admitted, lowering his voice drastically as if someone who cared could overhear.

"I-I know! I'm sorry, Ryo. I am sorry... I shouldn't have."

"It happens." Hopmon smiled oddly up at the boy. "Don't worry about it." Ken nodded quietly and finished washing Hopmon before setting him free to swim around again. It was then Wormmon's turn. Ken made sure to scrub under where his Digimon's claws met the rest of his body, knowing Wormmon really liked that.

Wormmon purred gently, but couldn't help noticing the look on his partner's face. "Is everything okay, Ken?" the Digimon asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes... It just turns out I said something outside that I hadn't meant to, that's all."

"Oh... Will you be alright?" Wormmon asked.

Ken nodded. "Just embarrassed for a little while."

"Okay..." Wormmon responded, falling quiet. The bath was silent until Ken got out and took the Digimon with him, drying them off, getting dressed, and stepping back out into the hall. "So where did Piximon go?" Wormmon asked, looking both ways down the hall and seeing no one.

"I see we have more work to do than I thought," said Piximon as he came flying up over the railing. "If you can't even sense when others are nearby, then you'll be dead before you know it."

Wormmon jumped, scuttling up from Ken's arms to his shoulder in surprise. "You sound just like Jijimon," Hopmon remarked.

Piximon chuckled. "We went to high school together!" he said, obviously making a joke. A joke that actually eanred a giggle from Ken.

Hopmon crinkled his brow at that. "Did you live in File City?" Wormmon asked, the joke going totally over his head.

Ken laughed again and pet his Digimon on the head. "For a while I did," Piximon replied. "It got too crowded for my tastes, so I moved out here." Wormmon didn't seem to get what was funny and just laughed along with his partner. Hopmon, meanwhile, from beneath Ken's arm, broke into a loud, squeaky yawn.

"Aw..." Ken looked down at Hopmon and then up at Piximon. "Is there a room for us?"

"You'll need a good night's rest. I'll be getting you up early to start your training." He led them along around the curved inner ring of his home. They had to go up one floor where the traditional bedrooms were found.

Ken slid open the rice paper door. Inside was an old-fashioned tatami mat, a white feather comforter, and a single rice paper lamp with a dull flame flickering inside. "Cozy."

"Better than the rooms at Jijimon's place," Hopmon laughed while rubbing his eyes sleepily. "All he had was a rug on a dirt floor." He hopped down onto the wooden floor, quickly flopping down onto the comforter.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," Ken said to Piximon with a bow. When the pink Digimon left, the boy removed his shirt, folded it, and crawled under the comforter on top of the mat. "Good night, you two."

"Good night, Ken," Wormmon said, curling up on top of the comforter near his boy's chest.

And then, there was a quiet pause before a squeak of, "Good night," came from around his feet.


	12. The Past

"Wake up morning glories!" Piximon exclaimed loudly as he came bursting into the room and flying energetic circle around the ceiling. The sun had probably only risen an hour or so ago, but those who knew Piximon knew he meant business. "Rise and shine! Up! Up! Up!"

"Ughn..." Hopmon rubbed his eyes, as did Wormmon, both of them looking at the still dim sunlight flooding in through the window. Hopmon could tell just by looking outside that it was early. Wormmon seemed a bit more dazed, gently shaking his boy's shoulder.

Ken mumbled sleepily and swatted at Wormmon. "Mmnnno... candy equals the square foot of the house not the blue." This made Piximon laugh, rolling backwards through the air.

"Ken, u-uh, it's time to get up," Wormmon said a lot less forcefully than Piximon had managed, as Hopmon sputtered in laughter too from the foot of the bed.

"And what about Pi r squared?" Piximon asked.

Ken frowned in his sleep. "Pie are round," he protested, and Piximon burst into new giggles.

Hopmon started to crack up, while Wormmon just looked confused, shaking the boy's shoulder again. "And usually the issue is trying to get him to sleep," the little green Digimon eventually sighed, giving up and hopping off the bed as Hopmon jumped up to sit on Ken's shoulder, shaking it himself instead.

Finally Ken opened his indigo eyes and peered up at Hopmon. "Do you need to go out?" the boy mumbled.

"No!" Hopmon squeaked. "It's time to start training, Ken!"

"Training?" Ken bolted up in bed, sending Hopmon tumbling off of him. "Oh my gosh, training!"

Hopmon squeaked in surprise, fluttering his wings and managing to land himself at the end of the comforter. "Relax! Piximon just came to wake us up," he said, gesturing to the Digimon still fluttering above them.

"But there's no time to waste!" Piximon declared and pointed his spear, Fairy Tale, toward the door. "The first part of your training is out there on the walk-way. Once you've finished, you can have breakfast."

Ken nodded frantically and fumbled around to get dressed. When he slip open the door, he found three buckets of soapy water and three rags waiting for them. "What's this?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Wax on. Wax off, Daniel-san!" Piximon laughed as he flew over them and down below the railing where he disappeared.

"He wants us to clean his floors?" Wormmon asked as he came out into the hall.

"I'm not surprised. Jijimon's training was much of the same," Hopmon sighed, frowning as he perched on the side of one of the buckets and debated how he was going to handle the task.

Ken bit his lip. "I guess diligence is a lesson worth learning, too." He gave a determined huff and nodded. "All right, let's do it then." Ken rolled up his pant legs until they where above his knees. He took a rag from a bucket, wrung it out, and positioned himself on the floor. "Eine, zwei, drei!" And the boy was off, pushing with his feet while holding the rag out in front of him.

"What am I supposed to do?" Hopmon called after him, waving his tiny wings. "I can't even hold a rag!"

"Hold on!" Ken said, glancing over his shoulder. Luckily, Piximon's home went in a giant ring, so he was able to just come back around to where he started. "Maybe you can get along the inside edges," Ken suggested. "Here..." He took Hopmon's rag from the bucket, wrung it out, and then placed it flat on the floor. Next, Ken placed Hopmon on top of the rag. "Try scooching around." Hopmon sat on top of the rag, and started to scooch along the floor. He let out a sigh at the difficulty, but he didn't complain, and started to move as best as he could along the floor. Wormmon and Ken kept lapping him though. "Looking good, Ryo!" Ken said with a smile as he came to pass the little Digimon. "We'll have this place done in no time!"

"I'm not really getting much done," Hopmon murmured. He'd started to pull hmself and the rag along by dragging himself along the wood with his wings.

Ken shook his head. "Nonsense! You're doing a great job! We're each doing what we're capable of. I mean, Wormmon is only ahead of you by a little. He doesn't scurry very fast, but he's still going. That's what important!" Hopmon still looked a little discouraged, but continued determinedly. Hours went by and he'd only managed to make it around the entire hall twice by the end of it.

"Squeaky clean, yup yup!" praised Piximon as he came flying up over the banister. "Such a good job you all did! I think you've earned that breakfast."

Ken grinned and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Food sound great right about now."

Hopmon fell flat on his face when he was finally relinquished from floor-scrubbing duties, then rolled over onto his back. "Carry me," he murmured, putting his wings up and flapping them around.

Ken smiled fondly at the little blue and gold Digimon. "Of course," he said and picked Hopmon up. "How about you, Wormmon?"

"I'm fine," Wormmon said, smiling up at his boy. "Let's go eat."

Ken nodded and followed Piximon to the dining hall. Since dinner last night had been so extravagant, Ken was expecting something similar. He was sorely disappointed. Upon entering the room, Ken saw a table featuring three bowls of rice and eggs, something that looked like a blue peach, and three glasses of milk. "This is it?" he asked while looking up at Piximon.

"Of course!" the pink sprite replied. "Too much rich food makes you lazy! Training on a stomach full of rich food can also make you sick! Only eat what you need."

Hopmon scrambled onto the table and started to hungrily bite into the peach without asking questions. Wormmon did much of the same, though he stopped eating the rice to look over at his boy for a moment. "Something wrong, Ken? Why aren't you eating?"

"I just thought there would be more than this," Ken answered, using his chopsticks to poke at the rice and eggs.

"What were you expecting, a cake?" Hopmon asked through a mouth full of rice.

Ken frowned. "No, just more breakfast type food. Cereal, muffins, bacon... that kind of thing." The boy just shrugged though, picked up the bowl, and began to eat.

"So, so!" began Piximon who was fluttering about over their heads. "Who will train first today and who will train tomorrow? Chores for the idle party I have, so everyone will be working!"

"What's the training?" Hopmon asked curiously, sitting on the plate so he could actually reach the food.

"Intense," replied Piximon.

"W-well, I'll go first!" Hopmon said, puffing out what little chest he had. "I need to Digivolve to something with arms and legs as soon as I can!"

Piximon nodded. "You and Ken will come with me, then," he instructed. "Wormmon, your first chore is to clean these dishes."

"Wormmon has a hard time holding things..." Ken tried to insist. "Isn't there something easier for him to do?"

"Easy doesn't make progress!" Piximon exclaimed and brandished Fairy Tale at the boy. "He will clean the dishes even if it takes him all day!"

"It's okay, Ken," Wormmon said, picking up one of the plates, even though it was s big as he was. "Go on with Ryo, I'll try my best."

Ken nodded, but still looked a little worried. He didn't want Wormmon getting hurt while trying to carry those dishes around. Piximon led the boy and the Digimon outside. They wandered through the jungle until they came to a clearing where there was a cave with what looked like temple pillars on either side of it. "This is where you will do your training," Piximon told them. "Once inside, just follow the way. You will learn by experience. A Digimon evolves when its power is needed most, so let's see how you react when your power is needed. Now go."

Hopmon scratched at his head as they came upon the cave. "Alright..." he said, before looking over at Piximon. "Are you going to... give us any tips? Teach us anything before we go?"

Piximon tapped his chin. "Everything is real and don't come back until you succeed. Bye!" Tittering mischieviously, Piximon flew away, leaving Ken and Ryo on their own.

"Guess we should go in," Ken said. He led the way by going in first. The cave was getting steadily darker until he saw a faint glow in the distance. Soon they came upon a wide, calm river. There on the shore was a boat with a pushing rod and a lantern. "It's like the River Styx..." Ken wondered aloud.

"That's... weird," Hopmon murmured. He looked at the boat warily for a few moments before climbing in, jumping down onto the second bench so Ken could sit on the first alongside the rod. "What do you think he meant by 'Everything is real'?"

"Just what it sounds like, I'm sure," Ken replied as he began pushing the boat along with the long rod. "I mean... The danger probably has to be real to get a real reaction out of us. If we knew it was all fake and that we couldn't get hurt, you might not be willed to evolve like you should."

"Well yeah, but why tell us?" Hopmon murmured, stroking his chin. "I think we'd assume that the danger is real..."

Ken was quiet for a moment. "Maybe we'll see something we don't like," he finally said.

"Maybe," Hopmon said with a small sigh, looking out at the river that seemed to stretch on infinately. In fact, it looked a bit more like an ocean to him.

The further along they went, little lights started to appear around them. Small glowing spheres that floated through the air. Ken watched them curiously, wondering if they were alive or not. Suddenly, there came the sound of laughter. It was a girl laughing. Perhaps a voice Ryo might even remember. "Tanned skin. Sparkling teeth. Refreshing smile. What happened to that annoying ray of light?" the voice laughed as one of the lights began dancing around Hopmon.

Hopmon looked around, finally catching sight of the light the longer it moved around him. He frowned up at it, beady black eyes locked on the glowing sphere. "What in the hell..."

"Still think you're better than me?" she asked. Ken had stopped pushing the boat and was now watching the light as well. Why was it talking to Ryo? How did it even know him? "How will you get out of this one?" she asked. "Going up or going through?" The voice laughed.

Hopmon's nose wrinkled up, or at least, the skin where his nose should have been wrinkled up. He looked over his shoulder at Ken, waving his wing. "Why'd you stop? Keep... keep rowing," he said.

Ken nodded and pushed the boat along, but the water felt harder, thicker... "Don't tell me you're scared," she scoffed, circling Hopmon's head. "C'mon, Ryo, I don't even have Renamon with me."

"I'm not," Hopmon sighed, finally acknowledging the voice. "But you're just a voice created by this cave to freak me out, so I'm ignoring you," he said firmly.

"And you're doing such a great job of it, too," she mocked. The tiny light came to sit on his top horn. "What, like I can't just come to the Digital World whenever I want? Please, Ryo, give me more credit."

"Not as a light," Hopmon huffed. "Besides, she'd have no reason to be here... even if you really were her."

"Maybe I came to see you." Ken continued to watch this with a frown. Who was she supposed to be? "Maybe I came to fight you. Prove how strong I've gotten. Of course, it seems that the mighty have fallen. Sad."

"Hey!" Hopmon frowned angrily and moved away from the light. "This is just a temporary inconvience," he insisted.

"Oh is it?" The light followed him closely. "Because I always thought you were better than this in the first place. I mean, how badly do you have to mess up to be turned into a Digimon?" she asked with a laugh. "You're not even a Tamer anymore!" The boat had stopped again as Ken looked at the rod, tugging on it slightly.

"If you were in the fight I had been in without anyone to help, the same exact thing would have happened to you," Hopmon huffed, crossing his wings and turning his back on the light. "Wait... you're not even Rika!" he accused, turning to face it again and pointing at it. "Stop trying to get me angry."

"Rika?" Ken gasped.

The little light spun, like it was offended. "Who says I'm not? C'mon, Ryo, you know better than anyone that the Digital World does weird shit. I wanted to see you, and the next thing I know, I'm in this little fuzzy glowing ball and watching you piddle around in a boat. I wasn't very impressed."

"Then how'd you know it was me?" Hopmon challenged, frowning deeply.

"People talk," she replied. "It's kind of a big deal when the Legendary Tamer falls so far."

Indigo eyes glared at the little light. "You weren't there!" he said. "You don't know what it was like!"

"Relax, Ken," Hopmon said, though he was still frowning up at the light. "I told you, that Piximon guy just wants to mess with us. Rika's mean, sure, but not like this."

"You left, Ryo," she said. "Sometimes people change. Especially when the people we care about hurt us."

"I left for her sake!" Hopmon argued. "So that she'd be safe!"

"I didn't need you to protect me!" she shouted back. "I could have handled it! Maybe I just wanted you around! Did you think of that?"

Hopmon flinched, biting his lip. "Well... well, no."

"I'm not weak, Ryo. You know that. I'm almost offended that you would think differently. Sure, Cyberdramon was wild and dangerous, but it wasn't like I've never faced Digimon like that. We could have worked together with him. Instead you just ran away. You have no idea how lonely I was after that. I saw something in you, Ryo. You made me feel things... I felt like a girl, and it was in a good way. I thought you liked me."

Hopmon probably would have been blushing if he could. Instead he just looked really sad. "I do like you..." he said quietly. "But I couldn't stay in your dimension... it wasn't just because Cyberdramon is dangerous."

Ken felt his chest tighten and he had to look away. The light came to settle on the bench beside Hopmon. "Then why?"

"Remember when we got off the ship, the first time we went back to the real world? You all ran to your parents. They gave you warm drinks and put blankets around your shoulders and told you it was going to be alright." He looked over at the light. If it really was her, he regretted that he couldn't see her face. "I didn't have that. My family, my home... my life was in a different dimension."

"But you can't even go back to your own dimension," she insisted. "You could have shared our families. You know we would have taken you in. We were all friends." Slowly, the light grew. It began to take on a human shape. "My house is huge. You and Cyberdramon could have had your own rooms. Grandma would have had more help around the house, and I would have had someone to keep me company." The light faded to reveal a new, older Rika. Her hair color was the same, only it was cut short around her ears. Her chest was humble beneath the white tank top with a wilting orchid on the front. She wore two wrist bands, one with a skull and crossbones while the other sported a broken heart. Skin tight jeans had a hole in the knee and flared at the bottom slightly. Rika looked down at him, sad and hurt. "I was really close to loving you. Sometimes I still am. I wanted you to stay so I could learn how."

Hopmon's little jaw dropped. He hadn't expected the light to suddenly take on a human form. Maybe it wasn't just an illusion of the cave. "But..." he started, ready to come up with another reason why that wouldn't have worked. But nothing else came. He groaned, holding his head. "I thought I was doing the right thing..."

Rika smiled just slightly, like she always used to do. "Would you come back now? If you had the chance, would you come back with me?"

Hopmon hesitated. "Not... not right now," he said, laughing weakly as he pointed to himself. "I'm kind of a Digimon right now."

The girl laughed just a little. "I can see that. I don't mean right this second. I mean when you get back to normal." Meanwhile, Ken was trying to row the boat back the way they came. Clearly this wasn't going to work out. He tried pushing the rod, but the water had turned to slush and he wondered if it gotten frozen to the bottom. "Life is so boring these days," Rika explained. "My mom is another another modeling kick, trying to get me to try out again. A little sanity at home would be nice."

"You could do it if you wanted to, you know," Hopmon offered, trying to get away from the question. "It wouldn't be hard for you."

"Maybe if I could do the kind of modeling I wanted," she replied. "But mom wants me to do all this frilly girly stuff. I'm just not into it. Now if I could do punk catalogs, that would be cool. I mean... I do look kind of hot in this, right?" Ken stopped trying to row and put his hands over his ears. He didn't want to hear this. He didn't! All of Ryo's emotions, fondness, and past love for Rika was coming back out and it made him feel sick. It was Daisuke and Kari all over again! That's when a pair of hands reached up out of the water and grabbed the boy, pulling him into the icy depths before he could even scream. "We could even do modeling together," Rika said. "I bet you look great these days. Some sneakers, new jeans, and some band shirts and you'll be set."

"Heh, maybe," Ryo laughed, scratching at the back of his head. "Ken says I look good. But I don't know. Oh! You haven't met Ken, he's..." Hopmon turned to look, but realized that Ken was no longer in the boat. He frowned, hopping over towards the oar and looking in all directions. "Ken? Ken?"

Rika looked around as well, not as frantically of course, and then shrugged. "I guess he left," she said.

"Left where?" Hopmon asked, looking over the edge of the boat. "He doesn't walk on water as far as I'm aware!"

"I'm sure he can swim," Rika said. "Don't freak out, Ryo, I'm sure he's fine." Only Ken wasn't fine. He was terrified to turn and see who was dragging him down. Instead he was watching as the boat got further and further away. Suddenly, he grabbed the rod. It stopped him from sinking and he began pulling himself back up. Ken gasped horribly when he broke the surface. He began clawing at the boat, his nails leaving trenches in the wood. Whatever had grabbed the boy the first time had followed. Coming up out of the icy water was another boy who looked exactly like Ken, only with darker eyes and a malicious smile. He wrapped his arm around Ken's neck and pulled him down again.

"Ken!" Hopmon's eyes went wide. He looked to the glowing Rika for help, but she didn't seem to eager to do much of anything. "Don't just sit there, help me!" he demanded as he looked back into the water. What was he supposed to do? He had no idea how to Digivolve and it didn't feel like the danger was empowering him to do it, either.

Rika stared at him with a straight face. "Is it me or him, Ryo?"

"What?" Hopmon asked, spinning around to look at her. "You're not seriously going to do this."

"Why not?" she returned. "Listen, I was the most sought out Tamer in my world. I have the skills to evolve you, Ryo. I can get you back to normal. So... You can come with me, evolve, and we can get back those feelings we lost, or you can stay with that kid floating in boats and cleaning floors all day in that small worthless body."

"This isn't the time for this!" Hopmon shouted, turning back to the water and gritting his teeth. "And you are definately not Rika." With that, he lept into the water, even though he had no idea what he would do next.

Rika watched Hopmon jump into the water after the pale boy. She sat quietly for a few short momets before shrugging and turning back into the sphere of light which floated away. Ken fought against the arm at his neck. His lungs felt like they were on fire, desperate for oxygen. He looked fearfully over his shuolder only to cry out in a flurry of bubbles when he saw the Kaiser. The alter ego just grinned. "Surprised to see me?" he asked, able to speak despite being under water.

Hopmon found that it was nearly impossible for him to dive. His small body wanted to float, and kept trying to pull him back to the surface against the desperate flapping of his wings to try and go deeper.

The Kaiser laughed when he looked up at the Hopmon trying to reach them. "Bats were made for flying, not swimming," he said. "A drowned rodent is never a pretty sight. You should just give up now. Saving yourself is so much more important anyway."

Hopmon wished he could speak back, but his lips were pursed shut, trying to hold his breath. He kept at it determinedly, his wings flapping desperately, trying to get deeper. But he only found himself floating closer to the surface or hovering in place. He narrowed his eyes, angry at himself, angry at his own body as it wouldn't cooperate.

Ken's eyes opened once more. He looked up and saw the little Hopmon trying desperately to swim to him. Even in the freezing waters, Ken felt the hot sting of tears in his eyes. He reached for Hopmon, mouthing its human name in a desperate plea as more bubbles escaped. "Try not to struggle so much," the Kaiser whispered into the boy's ear. "Your death will be less painful that way. I want an unstressed body to occupy when this is all over." His nearly white hand slipped under Ken's shirt, feeling his chest constrict in agony. "Ohhh... Having my own flesh again will be magnificent," he purred.

Hopmon's eyes widened and he grit his teeth. He struggled against the water desperately. He spread his wings as far as he could, trying to push himself deeper. Suddenly, it seemed to work. White flashed across his vision and with one swoop of his wings he was shooting down towards them. His wings had grown, spread wide and finally helping him downwards. They were attached to arms with thick silver nails at the ends. He looked over his shoulder and saw short but strong legs kicking behind him and a tail streaming after him, and he knew what had happened. A draconian maw smirked with rows of sharp teeth. He'd Digivolved to Monodramon. Filled with newly found strength, he shot down towards them like a bullet, and balled one of his new hands into fists, slamming it into the Kaiser's face when he reached them.

The Kaiser shouted in pain as he was sent backward from the punch. A bit of red leaked from his nose, but the icy water made it stop just as quickly. He tightened his grip on Ken and swung his leg out at the purple dragon. "Get away! He's mine!"

Monodramon grabbed the leg as it came towards him. Despite the situation, he couldn't help a smirk. It felt good to have arms again. After intercepting the attack, he pulled the Kaiser's leg up and chomped down on it with his rows of sharp teeth.

"Aargh!" The Kaiser was forced to let go of Ken in order to grab at his bitten leg, hissing in pain. Ken had been released, but he wasn't moving, wasn't trying to swim away. Instead he was just floating motionless in the water, eyes closed and tiny bubbles slipped past his lips.

Monodramon gasped, and suddenly he choked on his need for air as well. He grabbed under Ken's arms and started to swim as fast as he could towards the surface, kicking his legs as fast as they could go.

The Kaiser watched them flee, but instead of chasing after them, he sank back into the black depths of the river. Waves splashed as the boat rocked back and forth from Monodramon trying to get Ken and himself back inside. Ken's body hit the bottom of the boat with a heavy thud. He was dripping wet, hair sticking to his face, and clothes soaked clear through. His breathing was shallow, if at all really, his lungs and belly no doubt full of water. The little lights gathered again. One of them hovered near the end of Monodramon's snout, giggling. "Look at you," she said. "Impressive."

Monodramon just huffed at the light. He got into the boat and fell to his knees. He listened to Ken's heartbeat, and then started to perform CPR. He was obviously trained, though he had a little bit of trouble with his big, flat, clawed hands. He pressed the boy's chest, making him spit up water, before he locked his maw gently over Ken's lips, giving him the designated amount of breaths. Ken's body convulsed and he began to sputter loudly. Water and bits of bile bubbled up past his lips as he turned his head, coughing, trying to breathe the right way again. Monodramon pulled back, with a concerned look on his face. "Ken? Ken, can you hear me?"

Ken continued to cough and gasp for a time, but soon he seemed to fall back into a rhythm of breathing properly. Indigo eyes blinked open weakly and looked up at the purple and gold dragon. "Mon...dr...mon?"

"Ken!" Monodramon's tail started to wag when the boy spoke. "Are you okay?"

His body began to shiver. "Ri... R-Rik-k-ka...?"

"Rika?" Monodramon asked, raising a brow. "She... left. Are you alright?"

"N-Not-t-t-t... g-go w-w-w-with... h-her...her?" Ken tried to ask.

"No, I didn't," Monodramon sighed quietly, picking Ken up in his arms.

Ken curled into Monodramon slightly. "Wh-Why?"

"You needed help," Monodramon said with a frown. "Why wouldn't I have gone to help you?"

Ken's lips were turning a pale shade a blue and his teeth chattered a little. "L-Lo-Love h-her..." he said, looking up into golden eyes. "I kn-know... It-t-t's ok-k-kkkkay..."

Monodramon swallowed slightly. "I did," he admitted quietly. "But it wasn't going to work. I couldn't be with her and go home. It just... it just couldn't happen. Being a dimension apart... redefines long-distance."

Ken stared up at the Digimon, shivering and shaking from the freezing waters and his brush with death. "C-C-Cold..."

"I'm sorry," Monodramon said quietly, pulling the boy closer. "I wish I could breathe fire or something..."

Ken began to huff against the Digimon's scales, making them warm. "Haaa... Haaa... Breath..."

"Breath? Um..." The Digimon breathed inwards before releasing the breath upon Ken's face in one rather hot puff.

The boy shivered, but the color was already coming back into his face from that. "Ag-gain..." Monodramon breathed inwards again, releasing another hot breath upon Ken's face. He carefully sat down and rested Ken on his lap so he could use his hands to hold both of Ken's, warming them and breathing into his own cupped hands so the frozen digits could move again. Ken shivered with each breath blown upon his skin, but only because it felt so good. He knew it would work, and it was. Like a charm. Soon all the color was back in his face and hands. There was even some pink in his cheeks. Feeling able enough to move again, Ken got up and gripped the rod. "I guess we can g-go back now. You managed to evolve." Ken smiled. "Good job, Ryo."

"Yeah, but at what risk?" Monodramon answered, a frown upon his reptilian lips. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have arms and legs again, but... you could have died back there. Or gotten seriously hurt. What was Piximon thinking, sending us into a place like this?"

"He knew what he was doing," Ken replied. "This is what it took, Ryo."

Monodramon sat down on the bench of the boat, still looking unsure. "Well... can we go after the officers now?"

Ken shook his head. "I need one more day with Wormmon," he said.

"Alright," Monodramon said quietly. He took to inspecting his new wings and tail as Ken slowly started to row them back the way they came.

"I appreciate you coming here, Ryo," Ken said after a few minutes of silence between them. "I know it isn't what you wanted to do, but I really feel like it's something I needed."

"And I appreciate you wanting to help me through this," Monodramon answered. "Can you imagine what would have happened if I had been stuck inside Hopmon without you around? Chances are I would've picked a fight with a Kokatorimon and gotten myself eaten."

Ken laughed gently. "That would suck..."

"Not only that, but it would be a pretty lame way to go," Monodramon said with a laugh of his own.

"So... What's after this?" Ken asked.

"You mean after Monodramon?" he asked, still pulling on the skin between his arm and his sides that made up his wing.

He nodded. "Yes."

"Strikedramon is next," Monodramon said. "He's not as tall as Cyberdramon, but only by a few inches. He's still really tall, and he wears pants and armor. He can still vocalize, but... he's a little rough."

"You'll still be mostly in control, though, right?" Ken asked.

"I have no way of knowing," Monodramon said with a shake of his head. "I might be in total control or... I might act like him."

Ken just nodded. "Can you feel him?"

"A bit more now," Monodramon said, nodding. "He's waking up."

Ken was quiet and then asked, "Should I be afraid?"

"Just be careful," Monodramon said. "Strikedramon isn't as violent as Cyberdramon, but... he's still unpredictable." Ken nodded again. He was quiet the rest of the way back. Now as Monodramon, Ken didn't feel like he needed to carry Ryo around. He merely held the boat in place so it wouldn't tip, and then led the way through the jungle. Monodramon was also quiet, too busy getting used to his new body. He figured out how to control Monodramon's tail and threw a few punches at the air in front of him. After they climbed the steps and found themselves back in the house, he finally spoke. "I wonder how Wormmon did with those dishes..."

"I'll go find him," Ken said quietly and went off down the hall. Before Monodramon could follow, Piximon suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Evolve you did, I see!" he exclaimed with a grin. "You're much stronger now. Yup! Yup!"

"That's all well and good, but was that really the best way for us to do it?" Monodramon growled, his tail twitching with annoyance. "Ken could have drowned in there!"

Piximon wagged his finger. "But Ken didn't."

"But he could have!" Monodramon insisted, raising his arms. "If everything didn't go just right he'd be at the bottom of that lake right now!"

"Technically, the Kaiser would have been reborn, and we'd have a bigger issue on our hands, but that isn't the point!" Piximon argued. "I assume you met Rika as well?"

"Wait, no! That is the point!" Monodramon snarled. "Don't change the subject. That's a crazy risk to take!"

Piximon shook his head. "It's not a risk if I know the outcome," he said.

"I still don't like it," Monodramon huffed, crossing his arms. "I thought we'd need to fight some Digimon, not get reminded of the past!"

"But you chose to leave the past behind," Piximon pointed out. "You could have fought Digimon out there in the wild. Here, you're tested."

"There was no reason to have the Kaiser attack Ken," Monodramon said, shaking his head and trying to walk around Piximon. "That's just cruel. Didn't he suffer enough with that?"

Piximon fluttered his wings and put himself in front of Monodramon again. "Did he?"

"What do you mean?" Monodramon said, stopping in his tracks again. "He was ashamed just to have it brought up. Of course he did."

"Maybe he did." The little pink Digimon floated upside-down, almost nose to nose with the dragon. If he had one. "How would you know, though? Were you there?"

"Well... no..." Monodramon murmured, stepping back. "But I can tell how much it bothers him."

Piximon grinned. "And does he know how much you love Rika?"

"I... I told him," Monodramon answered, a little unsettled by the pink Digimon's grin.

"But does he know?" Piximon asked. "Was he there?"

"Well... no."

"Exactly!" Piximon declared. "You weren't there and neither was he."

"That doesn't justify what you did," Monodramon insisted. "Are you saying you were trying to show us something?"

Piximon giggled and did a little forward roll in the air. "Maybe I was!"

Monodramon snorted, making his nostrils flare. He didn't feel much like this back-and-forth with Pixiemon. He stepped back and respectfully gave a bow, saying, "Thank you for the evolution," before he started to walk away again.

"You can't always know how another person is feeling!" Piximon called after him. "They can't always know what you're feeling, either. But when you're willing to let that person have those feelings, while also willing to sacrifice your own, is what leads to growth." Monodramon paused for a moment to think about the Digimon's words. He saw the validity in them. He was just too upset about the danger they were put through to learn the lesson to really appreciate it. He just nodded his head before he continued to walk, looking to find Ken and Wormmon. Ken had found Wormmon trying to get dust out of a vase. Most of the chorse regailed to him sounded do-able on Wormmon's part, but Ken didn't think this was fair. After some brief arguing and coaxing, the boy had gotten the dust cloth from his Digimon and was now wiping the inside of the vase clean.

"How did you do today, Wormmon?" Monodramon asked.

"Well! I managed to finish cleaning the plates, though..." Wormmon started, only to look up and his eyes to go wide. "You Digivolved!"

"He did," Ken affirmed. "He was very brave and earned it."

"Congrats!" Wormmon cheered, nearly dropping a glass he was holding. He fumbled with it and managed to keep his grip before it fell to the floor.

"Thanks," Monodramon said with a smile. "How can I help?"

Ken drew the rag out and blew into the vase. "Actually, I think we're done here. Piximon told Wormmon we could have dinner when the chores were finished."

"Oh, alright," Monodramon said, nodding his head. He'd follow them into the dining hall, where Wormmon would despair in seeing the plates he'd freshly cleaned being used to serve their meals.

Ken smiled sympathetically and pet Wormmon's head. "If it means anything, I think they look great. I'm not afraid to eat off them," he added with a gentle laugh.

"Thank you, Ken," Wormmon said, even though his voice betrayed him in sounding saddened. He crawled up onto the table to his plate, while Monodramon inwardly cheered as he got to use a chair rather than sit on the table as well. Ken sat in his chair, but never touched his food. He watched Monodramon with a smile as the Digimon excitedly reached for this and that. Clearly he was overjoyed to have hands and arms again. Then Ken just took to petting down Wormmon's riged back, looking at the green creature fondly. Wormmon eventually noticed and looked up at the boy with a concerned expression. "Is something wrong, Ken?"

Ken shook his head. "No, not really. How's the food?" he asked with a smile.

"It's good," Wormmon said, nodding his head. "Are you just not hungry?"

Ken shrugged. "Not really."

"Alright, Ken... you should try and eat something, though. You need the energy." The little Digimon just gave the boy those words before he went back to nibbling on his own meal, knowing that often times it was fruitless to argue with him. The pale boy just hummed quietly. Ken pet Wormmon for a while longer before munching on some mochi, but that was about it.

"Bed time!" Piximon declared as he suddenly came fluttering into the dining hall. "You need your sleep. Yup! Yup! Another big day tomorrow!" Monodramon sighed a bit, putting down a turkey leg he'd been tearing into. Obviously he didn't want to be done eating, but he knew Piximon would get insistant. He pushed back his chair and dropped down to the floor, and Wormmon leapt off the table to the ground as well. "You will wash the floors downstairs tomorrow," Piximon told them. "And you," he said, pointing Fairy Tale at Monodramon, "Will clean my statue in the center courtyard!"

"No problem!" Monodramon exclaimed, prodding himself in the chest with his thumb proudly. "I can clean stuff easy now!" It seemed the grumpy attitude of Hopmon had all but vanished, replaced by the cheery, upbeat attitude of Monodramon.

Ken smiled at this new attitude Ryo seemed to have. While Hopmon's grumpy attitude could have been better, he was still small enough to pick up and take him along with you regardless. Monodramon was far too big for that, so it was good he was so compliant. The trio made their way to the shared bedroom where the door was slid shut and the candle lit. "Here, Ryo..." Ken said and pulled the turkey leg from earlier out from under his shirt. "I snuck this for you, and Wormmon..." He then retrieved some berries from his pocket. "You guys earned it today."

"O-oh," Monodramon said, taking the turkey leg into his large hands with a surprised look on his face. He bowed befored getting onto his knees. "Thank you, Ken." With that he started to eat, but Wormmon looked a bit more worried.

"Thank you, Ken, but did you get anything for yourself? You didn't eat much at dinner."

"If he's not hungry, you can't force him to eat, Wormmon," Monodramon said quietly. "Besides, I used to go weeks without eating in the Digital World. It's not a big deal if he skips a meal."

The boy smiled weakly. "See? Ryo knows... I'll be okay, Wormmon."

"If you say so," Wormmon said after looking between the two. He started to eat the berries then. Though he wasn't completely convinced, it was two against one on the matter.

"So, when are we going to head back to File Island?" Monodramon asked Ken after silence had reigned for a moment. "I know you said you wanted a day to train with Wormmon, but it sounds like we're just doing chores tomorrow."

"No..." Ken shook his head. "I think tomorrow will be like today. We'll clean the floors when we wake up, have breakfast, Wormmon and I will train, you clean, and then that's it. We'll head out the next morning. I promise."

Monodramon grinned excitedly. "Then we can start taking out those officers! I'll Digivolve back to Mega in no time."

"That's right," Ken said and pat Monodramon on the head. After that, the boy curled up under the blankets of the futon, rolled over so his back was to the Digimon, hiding his troubled face, and went to sleep.


	13. Fate

Monodramon awoke the next day before Wormmon or Ken. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the two of them with a small frown on scaly lips. He was more concerned about Ken than he let on, and it only showed in the few extra moments he stared at the boy before he got out of the bed and headed out of their guest room. Piximon hadn't come to wake them up yet, but he figured he'd get a good idea of how big this statue that he was going to spend the day cleaning really was. Or, maybe he just wanted an excuse to lean against the railing outside and watch the sun rise through the open roof of Piximon's mansion. "Early bird catches the worm," came Piximon's voice from above. The small pink Digimon was on the overhang, also watching the sun rise. "You catch on quickly, young grasshopper. There may be hope for you yet."

Monodramon looked up, his tail flicking slightly. "I should hope so," he sighed. He had his hands grasping the bars since he still wasn't quite tall enough to reach the top of the railing, even though Monodramon's stature was a huge improvement over Hopmon's. His nails clicked a bit on the wood as he moved his fingers a bit, perhaps nervously. "Something would be seriously wrong if I couldn't even do basic training right."

"Wrong with you or wrong with your partner?" Piximon asked from his pearch. He smiled as the first line of gold colored the horizon.

"Wrong with me," Monodramon clarified. "If I couldn't do this stuff right, I'd wonder why I'm a chosen child," he said with a light laugh. He considered climbing up onto the railing for a better view, but wasn't sure about its sturdiness, so he stayed on the floor.

Piximon nodded. "Perhaps Cyberdramon likes being this way," he offered. "What are your thoughts on that?"

Monodramon's brows drew together confusedly. "You mean, being merged?" he asked.

"Indeed," Piximon replied. "Consider that maybe he likes having you this close. He can never lose you to sickness or injury now. Also, he no longer has to live inside the brutish body he formerly possessed. If evolving is so difficult, maybe it's because he doesn't want to change."

Monodramon looked down, putting a flat, clawed hand on his chest. "I guess... that makes sense," he said quietly. "But I don't know if staying like this is right... or even if it's safe."

"Safe?" Piximon questioned. "Super powers, flight, an egg to recover in without death. Sound pretty good to me."

"But what about Cyberdramon?" Monodramon insisted. "He might enjoy being like this, but I can barely feel his presence right now! What if his conciousness just sort of... turns off? We weren't meant to be fused together for this long. If we stay like this... I might lose him."

The sagely Digimon nodded. "Such a concern is valid and deserves further meditation." Suddenly, two hands with a soapy bucket and a scrub brush appeared in front of Monodramon's face. "Diligence and meditation go hand in hand. Yup! Yup!"

Monodramon looked surprised for a moment, but then smiled slightly and took the bucket and brush into his hands, after a bit of fiddling to get his claws to cooperate with him. "Alright," he said, before heading off towards the stairs that would lead him down towards the base of the statue.

Piximon watched him leave, laughed to himself, and then fluttered into the bedroom. "Rise and shine sleeping beauties!" he proclaimed loudly. Wormmon practically hit the ceiling, leaping out of his sleep and to attention when Piximon shouted to wake them. His eyes were wild and he had his claws up like he was ready to lay down some kung-fu on whoever was intruding, until he realized it was Piximon and promptly deflated with a yawn. Piximon laughed. "That never gets old. Get up! Get up!" Fairy Tale was used to poke at Ken who just moaned quietly and curled up even further beneath the sheets. Piximon shook his head and clicked his tongue. "No good, this is. The earlier you wake, the more time you have to train. Isn't that what you wanted?" The boy didn't respond, but just continued to lie in silence. "No good! No good!" he said again. "Your buckets and rags are waiting for you. Until my floors are clean, there will be no food," Piximon said before flying away.

Wormmon rubbed at his eyes as Piximon went on and on, opening them only to see Ken still curled up in the blankets. He frowned in that way of his, moving to the boy's side and attempting to rouse him more gently by shaking his arm a little. "Ken?"

"I don't want to get up yet," Ken said quietly.

"Why not, Ken?" Wormmon asked. "We asked Piximon for this training..."

"I know... I don't want to go back to the cave yet," Ken answered.

"The cave?" Wormmon asked, seeming confused. "We're cleaning floors this morning, Ken... it doesn't matter when you wake up."

Ken pulled the sheets up closer. "The cave is where we have to train. I'm not ready to go back there. I'm not ready..."

Wormmon's antenna drooped. "Okay, Ken... I'm going to go and start our chores..." He pat the back of his boy's hands with his claws gently. "You come join me when you're ready, okay?"

The boy nodded. "Okay, Wormmon..." Wormmon gave the boy another concerned look before he nodded his head and quietly scuttled out of the room. He knew he wouldn't get much of anything done on his own because of his slow pace and tiny stature, but it would keep his mind off of his boy's apparently disturbed state at the very least.

It was a few hours before Ken emerged from their room, but only because Piximon had gotten fed up and began poking him with the sharp end of Fairy Tale. Ken looked tired and worn. He found his Digimon, picked it up, and followed the pink mentor through the jungle again. Chores were suddenly a luxury Piximon didn't think the boy deserved. "You will train here," he said as they approached the cave. "You will not leave until you succeed in what you are seeking to do."

"What are we seeking to do?" Wormmon asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked up at the cave.

"Don't you want to be able to evolve on command?" Piximon asked in return. "Not just at your liesture, but when the pressure is on?"

"W-well, yes!" Wormmon stammered, his atenna perking up. "I always want to be able to evolve to help!"

Piximon nodded. "Then that is what you shall do! When you can evolve into any of your forms when the stakes are high, and hold that form through battle, you will be ready."

"O-okay!" Wormmon said, shaking his claws like he was pumping his fists. "I'll give it my best!" He looked up at his partner. "Are you ready, Ken?"

Ken looked warily into the cave. He was sure he could hear the Kaiser laughing from inside. Breaking Wormmon's heart wasn't in him, though, so Ken nodded. "Yeah, let's go." Unlike Ken, Wormmon seemed pumped. The little Digimon always had been when it came to Digivolution. He almost seemed more like his more energetic teammate Chibimon as he took a place on Ken's shoulder and pointed excitedly into the cave as they took their first steps inside. Ken was hesitant to enter, taking his time walking inside. Just like yesterday, the river and the boat were there waiting for them. He put Wormmon down on the floor of the boat to insure he wouldn't fall. Then he started to row the boat across the water. To Ken's surprise, they didn't float into icey waters, but rather they hit another shore after a few minutes, ripe with grass and other natural neccessities.

Of course, Wormmon didn't seem surprised, and simply hopped out of the boat onto shore. He turned around to see his boy still standing in the back of the boat and tilted his head to the side. "Are you coming, Ken?"

Ken shook his head. "It wasn't like this yesterday."

"What do you mean, Ken?" Wormmon asked. "Are you saying that the cave changed?"

Indigo eyes just continued to stare in confusion. "Yeah... This wasn't here, yesterday. It was all water that turned to ice. Rika was here and the Kaiser, and... and... There was nothing like this!"

Wormmon's eyes went wide when Ken mentioned the Kaiser, but he looked around and saw nothing but the land of the island stretching on at their backs. "Then... I guess it did change."

"I really don't like this place," Ken mumbled as he stepped out of the boat. "But I suppose until we complete our training, there's no going back."

"As long as we stick together, Ken, I'm sure everything will turn out fine," Wormmon said, gaining a bit of his bravado back. He tried adding to his height by standing up on his back few feet, though it didn't make too much of a difference. "Right?"

Ken cast his Digimon a skeptical gaze, but then he put on a smile and nodded. "You're right, Wormmon. I've got all your armor eggs in my D-Terminal, so... We have everything we need."

"Right!" Wormmon said, nodding his head as he started to lead the way deeper into the foliage of the island. "Whatever we come across, we can overcome," he said with a determined nod. Ken nodded silently. Just on the other side of the small thicket was a vastly reaching field of pale green grass. Ken felt a slight breeze pick up from the far side of the stretch of land. A breeze that first blew against him and them at his back, almost urging him forward. The boy did as the wind insisted and took the first step onto the grassy plain. It seemed as though they had been walking forever, but it could just as easily only been a few minutes, when suddenly, bubbles began to float by. Wormmon's antenna twitched as his very determined gaze and march were broken by the bubbles floating overhead. He reached up to touch one that came close to the ground, and it popped when his pink claw touched it. He then looked over his shoulders, trying to figure out where they were coming from. Ken watched the rainbows dance on the liquid surface of each bubble. He didn't reach out to touch them like Wormmon did. He merely let them float on by to where ever they were meant to go. That's when he heard laughter. It was young laughter from that of a child. A small child. Ken recognized the voice and it made his steps falter. There, running across the field in pursuit of the bubbles, was his former self as a toddler. Indigo eyes widened and the boy gasped when the innocent ghost passed through him, but the sensation it brought made Ken double over in awed shock. Wormmon's blue eyes went wide when Ken fell. He inched over to his boy's side and put a hand on his leg worriedly. "Are you alright, Ken?" he asked, concern clear on his face. "Did that hurt?" he asked, listening to the laughter fade and his eyes catching sight of the vision running further across the field out of the corner of his eye.

"I... I don't know... It was weird." Ken rubbed his middle with a curious frown. "It... It felt like something was pulled from inside me, but not like a painful tear of rip. More like... something slipping away. It just... felt important somehow."

Wormmon's forehead crinkled like he was drawing his eyebrows together. "Should we... go after it, then?"

Ken nodded hesitantly. "I guess so. I don't know what else we should do here. C'mon..." Ken stood, shook off the weird feeling, and started to follow the path of his childhood.

"Leaving so soon, Ken? I thought we could play more." Indigo eyes went as wide as ever and pale skin blanched to a sickly paste complexion. Ken was frozen where he stood, unable to turn or even speak. The voice chuckled gently. "Come on, I'll even let you try blowing this but the voice demanded his attention more, especially because of the way Ken reacted. He turned around, prepared to attack if it was an enemy.

Ken swallowed a number of times before actually turning around. Surely his heart stopped. There, not more than three feet from him, was his brother. "Osamu..." Ken breathed.

The older sibling just smiled. "You were always better at me than this, weren't you? I blow too hard, right? You're gentle." Osamu held the straw to his lips even though he didn't even have a cup of the soapy water to work with. He blew, causing more bubbles to drift through the air. "C'mon, Ken, come play with me."

Wormmon looked between the two of them, back and forth, surprise painted on his face. After all, he hadn't been in the cave before. "What's... going on?" he asked hesitantly, not liking the look on his partner's face.

"Brother..." Ken began, "you're dead."

Osamu frowned at the news. "Dead? Ken, that doesn't make any sense. I'm right here, aren't I?" He approached the younger boy, just as tall as Ken remembered. "I think you had another bad dream," Osamu laughed.

"Ken..." Wormmon pulled on his boy's clothing from the ground. "Ken, I have a bad feeling about all of this..."

Ken shook his head. "But... I saw the car hit you..." Osamu was quiet, looking down like he was thinking. The straw let his lips and a single bubble floated into the air. Ken watched it nervously before it popped, releasing the deafening blare of a car horn. The boy cringed. "Don't do this..."

"You're the one who brought it up," Osamu replied bluntly. "So let's talk about it. Let's talk about what happened. If you had just stayed on the sidewalk like I told you..." Another bubble appeared. It was much larger than the others and dark red in color. Ken didn't think to move before it popped, blood spattering all over his face. He screamed. It was like acid on his skin.

"Ken!" Wormmon's eyes went wide and he started pushing against his boy's ankles, even though Ken seemed to be frozen to the spot. "Ken, don't put yourself through this! Let's get out of here!"

"It wasn't enough to just get rid of me though, was it?" Osamu asked bitterly. "You tasted blood and wanted more."

"No!" Ken cried, trying to wipe the crimson from his eyes.

Osamu scoffed. "You think I don't know what this is all about?" he asked and lifted a pair of the Kaiser's glasses. The straw suddenly gone from his hand. "You couldn't just get rid of me. You had to be me, too. I was never such a tool!"

Wormmon growled, trying to get into the conversation as his antenna shot up defensively. How he wished he wasn't so short that he was only around their feet. "Hey! That wasn't Ken's choice!" he barked, trying his best to raise his voice and be heard.

Dark blue eyes glared down at the little green worm. "Oh really? Sure looked like it was all Ken to me."

"No!" Wormmon said, eyes narrowing. "If it weren't for Millenniummon putting the Dark Spore into him, Ken would have never done any of that!"

"So it's my fault, is it?" a dark voice asked from inside the older boy.

Osamu suddenly looked confused and like he was in pain. Those dark blue eyes were suddenly on his little brother, sadness and fear swimming in them. "Ken?" he said timidly, crying out for help in that one word. But it was too late. Ken screamed in horror as a giant, dark, red-clawed hand ripped out from Osamu's body.

The horridly evil creature tore itself free, crawling out of the now mangled human body. "If that little brat hadn't jumped in the way of my spore, he wouldn't have ruined so many lives," Millenniummon bellowed.

Wormmon's eyes went wide as dinner plates when the huge Digimon crawled out of the human. He knew now, this had to be some sort of crazy trick of the cave. But he'd continue to defend his boy, even if all he could do was put his claws up and yell. "You were trying to take over Ryo! If Ryo had gotten the spore in him the same thing would have happened!" he argued.

"Fool," Millenniummon hissed. "If my spore had gone into Ryo, my plans would have succeeded. Even as my puppet vessel, your worthless human still managed to fail." With one swing of his might hand, Millenniummon knocked Ken to the ground on his back. In the next second, one of those red claws was pressing dangerously against the boy's chest. "Garbage..."

"Ken!" Wormmon spun around, panic rising in his voice. Why wasn't he Digivolving? He hated it! His Digivolution always seemed so random, but he really needed it now! He shook his head; he had to defend Ken, Digivolution or not. "Leave him alone! Silk Thread!" He shot a thread from his mouth with a sharp tip at the end, driving it into the giant Digimon's palm to try and get him to pull back.

The black beast hissed and actually drew his hand back. "Little worm!" he roared angrily.

Ken groaned, but reached for his pocket and pulled out the first thing he could find. "Digimental Up!" he exclaimed, not knowing what his Digimon would become, but confident it would be something that could help.

"Wormmon Armor Digivolve to..." A light engufled Wormmon, and the sounds of clanking metal and crackling, freezing water mingled with the screeching of Ken's Digivice. When the light faded, a huge, mole-like Digimon was revealed. He had cream colored skin, but it was mostly covered by dark blue armor from which huge white claws emerged. The Crest of Friendship was on each of his front legs, and from his back grew tons of ice crystals. "Togemogumon!" The large Digimon at once leapt towards Ken, landing over him, hiding his partner under his belly with his four paws posed to hold him up should an attack come. "Crystal Guard!" His attack created a barrier of ice to protect them. Meanwhile, Ken's D-Tector was beeping and the screen was flashing- showing the DigiEgg of Friendship, which had just been sent to him, on its face.

"Daisuke..." Ken breathed. Did he know? Did Davis somehow know that Ken was in danger? That Ken needed him? Surely that was it. Davis was sending him a message. Davis would never back down or cower, and neither should Ken. "Togemogumon, attack!" he declared.

"Hail Machine Gun!" On Ken's order, Togemogumon created a hole in the front of his sheild and fired all of the ice crystals from his back. When they got through, he reformed the part of the sheild he'd broken, watching from behind the safety of the glass-like surface as each and every one of the icy quills stabbed into Millenniummon's body.

Millenniummon roared and at once began trying to pull the crystals from his body. The ice was far too cold, though, and had stuck. So when Millenniummon ripped the crystals out, he was pulling his flesh off along with it. "Digimental Up!" Ken shouted having selected the DigiEgg of Courage. "Attack!" he said again, knowing that fire on such soft exposed tissue would do a great deal of damage.

Wormmon devolved just to Digivolve again, this time into "Shadramon!" He looked like Stingmon wearing Flamedramon's armor, with huge butterfly wings patterned with flame that propelled him out of their icy shield and into the sky above Millenniummon. "Flare Buster!" Shadramon shouted, shooting an attack much like Flamedramon's Knuckle Fire from his hands, huge balls of fire raining down upon Millenniummon as Shadramon pelted them at him.

Another roar of pain bellowed through the air. Millenniummon was weakening. Ken could see it in his faltering feet. Another advantage they needed to take, so he selected the DigiEgg of Hope. "Digimental Up! Knock him down!"

Shadramon began to dive towards the ground as his wings vanished, but as soon as Wormmon Digivolved again, golden hooves hit the dirt and at once began to carry him towards his foe without even a crash or trip. "Bullmon!" The brown Bull Digimon, covered in blue and golden shining armor, with a red cape streaming behind him, lowered his head and snorted as he aimed his gold horns at the weaker, more unstable foot. "Matador Dash!" he bellowed, slamming the full weight of his body right into Millenniummon's leg.

Another pained growl accompanied Millenniummon's fall. He crashed into the earth, making the ground shake. Ken was on his hands and knees with wide eyes. He almost couldn't believe they were doing it. "Again!" he shouted. "Finish him, Bullmon!"

Bullmon launched himself into the air. "Tail Whipping!" he roared, spinning over himself and smacking Millenniummon in the face with his tail, hooves coming down on him and launching himself back up, only to come down again with his horns upon his foe's chest with another "Matador Dash!"

The next sound was a sickening squelch as the horns pierced Millenniummon's chest. One final, dying roar was the last thing the giant beasted managed before bursting into a storm of pixelated dust. When everything had cleared, Ken was found kneeling on the ground, cradeling his brother's bloody corpse. "I couldn't even save him this time..."

Bullmon approached, breathing heavily through his golden face mask, which allowed only holes for his nose. "I'm sorry, Ken," echoed his deep voice from within the helmet.

Ken shook his head. "It's not your fault. I... I don't know what I would have done without you, Bullmon." Indigo eyes looked up at the Digimon fondly. Beneath the blood from the bubble, his skin was turning pink from abbrasions, but Ken was still smiling gently, proudly. "You saved me."

"It's my job to protect you, Ken," Bullmon snorted, nuzzling his face against his partner's shoulder, though making sure to be careful as to not hit him with his horns.

One hand lifted to pet the armored snout. "You were amazing out there. I'm so proud. How did it feel?"

"It felt wonderful," Bullmon said, smiling behind his mask. "Changing form so quickly and being able to do all of those attacks that actually did some damage... I want to be able to always do that when the battle gets tough."

"You will," Ken replied. "I know you can."

Bullmon smiled for a moment, before bending down on one of his front knees. "Can we go back now, Ken?"

The boy nodded. "I think we can now, yes." Ken placed one last kiss on his brother's forehead before laying him down. He got to his feet, placing one hand on Bullmon's horn, and started back towards the mouth of the cave where they'd come from.

When they came upon the boat, Bullmon devolved into Wormmon and climbed in. He watched as Ken took hold of the oar and started to bring them back to the entrance. "Hey, Ken?" he started quietly.

Indigo eyes glanced down. "Yes, Wormmon?"

"The DigiEggs of Courage and Friendship... when did you get those?"

Ken was quiet at first, simply pushing the boat along. "In that moment," he finally answered. "They were there when I needed them."

"They came just then?" Wormmon asked, looking curious. "Was there... a message with them?"

"A message?" Ken pulled the D-Terminal from his pocket and opened it. "I'm not really sure," he said, now flipping through the different applications.

The boat drifted along slowly on its own momentum as Ken's hands became occupied with the D-Terminal. Wormmon waited paitently as Ken finally came upon the message centre of the device. There was an unread message that had come coupled with the DigiEgg of Friendship. 'I heard from the others that you've been asking for their DigiEggs... and I'm guessing you're in the Digital World now. I don't know what you're doing, but here are mine, and I'm going to ask the others to send the rest of theirs over to you too. I figure you need them more than we do right now. Be careful, okay? - Daisuke'

Ken just sort of stared at the message quietly for a few moments. "He... He wants me to be careful..."

Wormmon tilted his head to the side. "Davis does?"

Ken nodded. "Yeah..."

"Well... I'm sure he does. He's your friend."

"I just... After I shut him out like I did..." Ken said. "I didn't think he would. I thought it had become too weird for him."

"He's not going to abandon you, Ken," Wormmon said, shaking his head. "You know he'd never really stop caring."

Ken nodded. He began to type a message back. 'Yes, I've been here for... maybe three weeks. I'm not sure really. I recently learned that our Digimon can evolve with each other's eggs. Wormmon doesn't have his own, so I was asking for the others. I didn't ask you because, well... I didn't want to bother you. Sounds silly now that I admit it. I met the Legendary Tamer. He needs my help and I need his help, so we're working together. There's a war. Don't worry though. I'm okay. Thank you for the eggs, Daisuke. I'll... Hopefully I'll see you soon. -Ken'

They were quiet for a while, just floating on the river. Suddenly, the D-Terminal began to beep as another message came through. 'A war in the Digital World? Should we come? And don't hesitate to ask for help, Ken. You know I'm always here for you. - Daisuke'.

'No! I mean... I mean you don't have to come just yet. Things are still pretty calm. Some kind of rift has formed between the Vaccine and the Virus Digimon. Right now we're working on just getting information. If we need help, I'll call. I promise. And... I know you are. After that whole thing with Kari at the park, well... I didn't know what the best thing to do was.'

'I understand. Maybe when you get back, we can talk about it. Right now though, your safety is more important. Just... make sure you let us know if you need help. I'm going to hold you to that promise!'

Ken smiled. 'Yeah, I will. Thank you, Daisuke. For everything.'

'Of course Ken, that's what friends are for.' The last message came just as they hit land, the entrance of the cave flooding light upon the surface of the water.

Ken put the D-Terminal back in his pocket and shielded his eyes as he and Wormmon emerged from the cave. As they made their way back toward the mansion, the boy did his best to wipe the blood from his skin and clothes. Some of it his, some of it Osamu's. Ken could feel the sting on his face and neck where the acid had left burns and he hoped Ryo wouldn't put up too much of a fuss. "We're back!" he called, walking through the front doors.

Wormmon had gotten onto Ken's shoulder and was now sprawled over it tiredly. Monodramon came to greet them, the cloth he was using to clean draped around his neck. "Welcome back. How did it go?" he asked, looking a little concerned.

"It went great, actually," Ken said with a proud smile and pet Wormmon's head. "He evolved three different times in a row to take down Millenniummon. It was amazing. You really should have seen it."

"Millenniummon?" Monodramon echoed, his brows drawing together and his tail twitching slightly. "The cave sicked a vision of Millenniummon on you?"

"Well..." Ken hesitantly touched one of the burns. "First it was my brother, you see. Then Millenniummon..." He frowned. "Millenniummon tore out from inside him and attacked me. Wormmon jumped right into action though! I almost couldn't believe it. We worked perfectly in unison."

Monodramon listened to the story carefully, his expression getting harder to read and his eyes falling more serious. Eventually, he seemed to let something go and sighed quietly, brightening his face. "It's good to hear that you guys were able to fight together well. I knew you could do it." He smiled with those pointed teeth and offered a thumbs up.

Ken smiled and nodded. "I'm sure the real Millenniummon wouldn't have been taken down so quickly, but it felt really, _really_ good to fight him for myself."

"I'm glad." Monodramon looked at Wormmon, who seemed to be falling asleep on Ken's shoulder. "He looks about ready to pack it in."

The boy hummed. "Yes, he worked very hard today. He deserves a good rest." Ken gently lifted his little Digimon and placed him in Monodramon's arms. "Will you put him to bed for me?"

"Sure," Monodramon said, doing his best to get a good, but gentle grip on Wormmon with his clawed hands, which he was obviously still unused too, though the work he'd done that day had helped. He turned and went up the stairs then, to put Wormmon to sleep and to put his cleaning supplies away as well.

Ken watched them go and then turned to go his own way. He needed to get clean. Even if Piximon wouldn't approve of him using the springs just yet. The blood and burns needed cleaning, or else he might end up worse off in the morning. The warm air hit his face when he walked in, and the gentle babble of the water was like the voice of a good friend. Ken stripped from his clothing, folding them depsite their filth, and slowly entered the water.

When Monodramon had tucked Wormmon into the futon upstairs and put all of his cleaning supplies away, he decided to try and find Ken, only to go back to the foyer and find it empty. Frowning gently, he started his search for the boy. When he turned up empty, he tried his hand at using the overly gifted sense of smell he'd been given by his ordeal. That worked far quicker, and he'd soon walked into the steamy springs, his flat, scaly feet making pattering noises against the floor.

At first it appeared that the springs were empty. That was until Ken came up out from beneath the water's surface. He tilted his head back, running his hands through his dark hair. Small droplets fell from his elbows and landed in small ripples. Gentle blue and white lights floated about; little features Piximon had created himself back in the day. Their glow was caught and reflected in the water droplets on Ken's pale, smooth skin.

Monodramon stopped in his tracks when Ken broke the surface of the water, his flaring nostrils that had been double checking for his scent stopping as well. He watched for a few moments, opening his mouth to speak but not really finding any words. Eventually he swallowed and walked over to the water's edge. "Ken, is it okay for you to be in here?"

Ken turned his head slightly. The abrasions on his neck and face were darker now thanks to the heat. Indigo eyes looked at Monodromon as he spoke. "Why wouldn't it be?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know, Piximon can be weird about stuff like..." Monodramon's voice trailed off, and he kneeled down next to where Ken was waded into the water, golden eyes upon the marks Ken had aquired. "What happened?"

"Hm? Oh, these?" Ken touched the markings. "It was nothing, Ryo. I'm fine..."

"It doesn't look fine," Monodramon sighed. "But if you're not worried, I can't force you to be. I really don't think it's wise for us to go back into that cave though. Do you think we can leave soon?"

Ken nodded. "Yes, you have evolved and Wormmon can too now. We're ready." He dipped his arms into the water so he could run them clean. "My brother was blowing bubbles," Ken finally said after some time of silence. "I insisted he couldn't be real because he was dead. Things started to get bad then. He said some things. Angry words. Osamu blew another bubble, but it was blood. When it popped, it splattered all over me and burned my skin."

Monodramon sat down at the edge of the pool, listening silently to the story. "I see... the cave showed you Osamu, huh?" He had a very thoughtful, sad look on his face as he spoke, in a low tone, picking his words carefully. "And that's how you got those..." He glanced at the burns, then sighed quietly. "I see."

"Ryo... I didn't want to say it in front of Wormmon, but I know that battle was too easy. Millenniummon was only as strong as he needed to be for us to learn our lesson. I want to know... What was he like? What did it really take?"

Monodramon was silent for a moment, touching the side of his snout. "Many Digimon died fighting Millenniummon," he chose to say. "I did many things... rose an army. Had several partners... a lot of the Digimon in that army were killed trying to defeat him. Hell, if it weren't for the fact that Millenniummon and I are tied to either live or die together by fate, I probably would have died a few times as well." Golden eyes finally turned back to Ken. "It wasn't until Monodramon forced that DNA Digivolution with him that he left, but... I never really defeated him. I had to accept him into my life, since he was my fate unless I was to die as well... I've never faced a more difficult opponent."

Ken nodded. "That's why..." Suddenly the boy moved forward, the motion smooth and swift through the water. He at once had his arms around Monodramon, holding the purple dragon close. "That's why I wanted to come here. I need you to be a strong as possible. You... You and Millenniummon are one creature now. If... you d-die, you die together and..." Ken shivered as he fought back tears. "If that happens... You might not come back."

"I know... I thought about that," Monodramon said quietly, putting his hand on Ken's shoulder. "But... as much as I want to be split apart from Cyberdramon... maybe this was meant to happen."

"No!" Ken drew Monodramon in even closer. "Don't you dare say that! I won't lose you! I didn't search this hard and come this far to lose you again. You hear me?"

"But Ken..." Monodramon breathed quietly, shaking his head. "What if I evolve to the next level and hurt you? What if Millenniummon manages to take over both mine and Cyberdramon's minds? What if he takes control of this body or, even worse, gets free somehow? This could be our only chance to truely rid the world of him."

Ken shook his head. "I don't care. I don't care! You don't understand!" Ken came out of the water, crawling up to cradle himself up against Monodramon. "You don't understand... I can't. Not again. I won't. No matter what. I won't..."

"Ken..." Monodramon sighed. He wrapped his arms around the boy, his wings creating a curtain around him, and rested his chin on his head, closing his eyes. "The fate of the world could be at risk, Ken..."

"You don't understand..." Ken said again. "I can't lose you. I'll die without you. I can't be alone. I won't be alone. It hurts... It hurts too much to be alone."

"Let's not talk about this now," Monodramon finally said after another moment of silence.

Ken whimpered. "You think I'm a child, don't you?"

"You've been through a lot Ken. And I understand that, but... there's so many things bigger than ourselves."

"Why can't we be important? Just once..."

"We are important, Ken, but... the needs of the many." He swallowed, then let out a breath. "I'd rather die than see others die because of me."

"Then... when you do go... You're going to take me with you."

Monodramon shook his head. "I'm not going to do that, Ken."

"Then I'll follow you! You can't stop me from doing that..."

"You're right, I can't," Monodramon said. "But I'm not going to take you with me." He sighed again, pulling his arms back and standing up. He didn't want to discuss this anymore, and it showed on his face. "I'm going to go to sleep now. Wake me up when it's time to leave, okay?" Ken opened his mouth to answer, but Monodramon had already turned and walked away. A pale hand reached after him, voice tempted to call out, but nothing came. Suddenly feeling overwhelmed as the event of the past few days hit him like a wave, Ken just stumbled back into the water where he tried to hide his tears.


	14. Little Kid Dictator

"Frere Jacques, frere Jacques, dormez-vous? Dormez-vous? Sonnez le matines! Sonnez les matines! Din, dan, don! Din, dan, don!" Piximon sang loudly when he came flying into the bedroom. "You lazy bags to bones! I never thought I'd see the day when I child was awake before his Digimon!"

Monodramon and Wormmon both groaned as they were awoken from their slumbers, but for very different reasons. Monodramon because he hated hearing Piximon's voice first thing in the morning and Wormmon because as soon as he opened his eyes he felt an overwhelming soreness overtake his tiny body, something he hadn't noticed with all of the adrenaline of the previous day. "Well, now you have," Monodramon answered grumpily as he rubbed his eyes, a yawn escaping his maw.

Piximon laughed as he fluttered about. "Yes, well, your sack of potatoes is ready to leave. Up all night he was! Now he's at the gate. You want some breakfast to go, then?"

"Don't call him that," Monodramon snorted, as he reached over to wake Wormmon, not realizing that the little Digimon was already awake but just didn't seem to want to move. With a frown, he offered his arms, and Wormmon accepted after a moment of being embarrassed, letting Monodramon pick him up. "Sure, thank you," Monodramon said to Piximon's question, bowing his head slightly as he started to lead the way downstairs.

Piximon loaded up a basket with hard boiled eggs, patterned clothes folded over bacon, sweet rolls, and fruit. "You need your strength! Yup yup!" he said as he handed the basket to Mondoramon, as Ken's arms were now occupied with carrying Wormmon.

"Thank you for all you've done," Ken said with a deep, sincere bow. Piximon just laughed and waved them on their way, so Ken began the trek down the mountain of stairs.

Monodramon lingered at the top of the stairs for a moment, looking at Piximon. It had been only a few days, but he'd felt quite a spectrum of emotions towards this mentor. He still did not like how they came to the current point in time, but he had to admit that the outcome, at least, was favorable. After all, he had arms and legs now. "Thank you," he said, bowing as well. Even if he wasn't completely happy, he kept his respect for Piximon in tact with that before he started down the steps as well.

"Jijimon said that the Lieutenants are Kyaromon in the Tropical Jungle and Puroromon in Beetle land," Ken said. "Who's closer?"

"Well right now, Beetle Land, I suppose," Monodramon said, frowning gently as he caught up with him. "But it doesn't matter since we need to get back to File Island anyway... and if we dock on the opposite side of the island for whatever reason, Tropical Jungle will be closer."

"Well, then I guess it just depends on where we end up." Ken stopped suddenly and looked down at his tired and sore Digimon. "Oh... Oh no... I can't ask Wormmon to evolve again. He's so worn out."

"No! I-I'm okay!" Wormmon said, shaking his head quickly. "Swimming is really easy!"

"Are you sure?" Ken asked worriedly. "We can camp in the jungle for another night."

"No, I'll be fine!" Wormmon insisted. "If I get really tired, we can stop on one of those little islands!"

Ken bit his lip, but finally nodded. "All right. If you insist." They all made their way down the steps, stopping to rest at the bottom and eat the breakfast Piximon had packed for them. "Getting back across that desert won't be much fun."

"At least we won't be wandering around this time, looking for this place," Monodramon said, kneeling amongst the plants of the expanse of jungle that seperated Piximon's home and his barrier. "We can walk a straight line towards the coast."

"That's true. And no offense," the boy said with a sheepish grin, "it'll be nice not having to carry the both of you in the heat."

"None taken," Monodramon laughed.

"Would you prefer if I walked, Ken?" Wormmon asked, looking up. "I can walk if you don't want to carry me."

Ken laughed. "No, Wormmon. You earned a good carry today. Between the battle yesterday and the long swim ahead of you, I don't mind. Share the work, right?"

"Alright, Ken," Wormmon said. His voice reflected a smile, and he settled into his partner's arms happily as they began to eat their breakfast. It was only a short time before Monodramon was done and on his feet, obviously eager to start their trek back to File Island. Ken took his time eating, wanting to savor the last decent meal they would probably have for awhile. When he was done, he also stood and nodded at Monodramon. The trek across the desert almost seemed easier this time around, and Ken supposed it really was because they knew where they were going this time instead of wandering aimlessly. The cool breeze from the beach was a welcome treat when they finally reached the water. Ken set Wormmon down, selected the proper egg in his D-Terminal, and willed his Digimon to evolve. Wormmon Digivolved into Archelomon, allowing Monodramon and Ken onto his back before he pushed off into the water. Luckily, the tide was at their back and pushed Archelomon along, allowing him to set a leisurely pace that didn't aggravate his muscles too much. In fact, the cold water was pretty soothing. Monodramon sat on the back of the shell, looking at Server as it slowly got smaller on the horizon.

Ken glanced over his shoulder at Monodramon and then fixed his eyes forward again. "I spoke with Daisuke."

"Did you?" Monodramon asked, looking over his shoulder himself, but keeping his eyes transfixed in surprise. "What happened?"

"When Wormmon was fighting, he evolved with the DigiEgg of Friendship. I didn't have that egg before. I received it right in that moment. Like some kind of miracle. Later, on our way back, Wormmon asked if there had been a message sent. I checked. Daisuke had sent me a message. The first in a long time. He said he'd heard from the others that I was here. He wanted me to stay safe."

"Oh... that's good then," Monodramon said, nodding his head. "True friends are amazing like that."

Ken nodded as well. "I told him that I'd met the Legendary Tamer. It was strange." They boy laughed. "Daisuke used to go crazy over stuff like that, but he didn't say a word on the subject this time."

"He either didn't know what you were talking about... or he's really worried about you," Monodramon said, standing himself up and walking to the front of the shell.

Now Ken was smiling. "Oh trust me. Even if Daisuke didn't know about the Legendary Tamer, just hearing those two words together would send him into a fanboy frenzy."

"Is that so?" Monodramon laughed, as he sat at the front of the shell. "Well, apparently not when your life is in potential danger."

"Apparently not." Indigo eyes looked over into gold. "You would really like Daisuke, Ryo."

"Yeah? I think you're right... he sounds like a nice guy," Monodramon said with a small smile.

"Daisuke has engery to spare, like you. Thinking back on both of you as kids, I'd almost think you were brothers. When we get home, I want you to meet him first. Then you should meet Taichi."

"Taichi?" Monodramon asked. He leaned back against one of Arechelomon's back spikes, leaning him closer to Ken to listen. "What's he like?"

"Well," Ken began with a smile, "Taichi is the leader of the original Chosen Children. He's really brave, but doesn't always have the best judgment. He'd rather have fun than take things seriously, but he can pull himseld together when he really needs to."

"The leader, huh?" Ryo nodded his head approvingly. "I definately would like to meet him..."

"Then there's Takeru. He was part of both the first and second generation children. He has more of head on his shoulders. He has an Angemon, y'know."

"Angemon... I've only met the one at Meditation Dome," Monodramon hummed. "He was a peaceful guy... but I imagine Takeru's is a great fighter."

Ken nodded. "He defeated Devimon back in the day. Cost him his life, though."

"He came back through, right?" Monodramon asked, eyes widening just a little.

"Oh! Oh of course!" Ken said, nodding and waving his hands. "Angemon formed back into an egg right there and TK hatched him back into a Poyomon."

"Good, good," Ryo sighed, nodding his head. "I've seen way too many Digimon get absorbed and not reform."

"Don't worry," Ken said as he patted Monodramon's forehead. "I've never seen a Digimon lost. Even Wormmon died once, but he came back to me."

Monodramon nodded his head, turning his head back to look at the ocean. "I'm glad you haven't seen that."

"Me too. I hope I don't have to, either." Monodramon just hummed thoughtfully, turning his eyes back on the ocean. The rest of the trip was quiet. They had to stop a little early because Wormmon started to tire, but they had still travelled a good distance. The pace would steadily pick up over the days until he returned to full strength.

"You must be feeling so much better," Ken said to his Digimon, petting the fluff of pink mane. "Not even the waves can catch up to you."

Archelomon nodded his head, a smile spread across his face. "I'm feeling much better, kame! A good swim was just what I needed... the water is so soothing, kame."

Ken laughed gently. "Kame! Kame! I'm glad, kame."

"Hey, don't make fun of my accent, kame!" Archelomon whined, shifting back and forth- not enough to throw anyone off, but enough to shake Ken up a bit. At least, that's what he thought, until a squeak and a splash came from around his tail. Monodramon suddenly surfaced next to his head and spat a stream of water out of his mouth. "Whoops, sorry, kame," Archelomon said. Monodramon just laughed and dove back under the water.

"I'm not making fun of you," Ken said and pet the pink fluff again. "I think it's cute!" Monodramon surfaced again on the other side of Archelomon, actually managing to keep up with him with what seemed to be minimal effort by doing a backstroke. He just laughed as he saw Archelomon blush a bit from Ken's comment. Ken looked out toward the horizon. He thought, in the far off distance, that he could see a speck of land. So close yet so far it felt like. "Do we know anything about Puroromon or Kyaromon?"

"Just that they're In-Training Digimon," Monodramon said. "I don't think I've ever come across one of them before... unless my memory's just slipping. Jijimon also said that they were training Baby Digimon, but that's about it."

"Puroromon much be a bug Digimon, right? Otherwise he wouldn't be in Beetle Land." Ken looked down at Archelomon, trying to catch his eyes. "Are bugs strong against bugs?"

Archelomon shrugged his shoulders, and Monodramon cut in. "What should it matter? You're the one that said you'd rather not fight them. We're just going to try to convince them to stop at first, right? Two Rookies against one In-Training... it won't be much of a fight anyway."

"They might attack us first, thought," Ken pointed out. "If we have to fight to defend, we should know the best strategy."

"It'll be a piece of cake," Monodramon said, waving a flat hand above the waves flippantly. "Between Wormmon and I, an In-Training and a bunch of Baby Digimon wouldn't stand a chance... sure, they could be amazingly trained, have tons of strategy, but... the fact of the matter is that they're just way smaller. Plus, Wormmon can Digivolve!"

Ken frowned. "Small or not, there are more of them than there are of us. Remember that ant pile you fell in at the park? Sure, they were tiny, but they sent you to the hospital."

"That's different," Monodramon said with a simple shrug. "You can't reason with ants."

"Ryo! This is serious!" Ken exclaimed. "If you get dozens of Baby Digimon attacking at once, you can get seriously overwhelmed and confused!"

"Ken," Monodramon huffed. He dove under the water and popped up next to Archelomon, resting his arms on the side of the shell. "I've done this more times than I can count. Will you just trust that I know what I'm doing?"

Ken frowned down at Monodramon, not willing to concede so easily. But eventually he just sighed and nodded. "Fine, I trust you."

Monodramon eyed Ken for a moment to try and detect any insincerity in his statement, but finally managed a smile and a nod. "Good." He turned his eyes on the horizon, and he perked up when he finally recognized the landmass they were approaching. "Looks like we're just about there."

Can you tell if we're still on the Beetle Land side?"

"We're on the proper side if we can see Overdell when we get close," Monodramon said. "Though Overdell is near the more mountainous side of the island, and if we see it we'll want to go diagonal just a bit to come up on the more forested part." Ken looked up at the sky. It was still clear and blue. He hoped they could get close to one of the Lieutenants before it got to be too terribly late. Monodramon took a moment, judging the strength of his arms, before lifting himself up onto Archelomon's shell and took his seat beside Ken, watching as the water fell off his scales in rivets. Scales. It was still weird. "If it gets too late, I know a few places we can look to stay. There's a lot of friendly towns dotted throughout File Island if you know where to look."

The boy smiled. "I'm sure anyone would jump at the chance to open their home to the Legendary Tamer."

"Well, anyone who didn't already want my head for one reason or another," Monodramon said with a laugh.

They broke shore after only another two hours. Ken praised his Digimon for making such good time. "So, Beetle Land would be which way?" he asked.

Monodramon's nostrils flared, using not only acquired knowledge but also the skills this body he was trapped in granted him. "This way," he said after a moment, leading the way after Wormmon devolved and got up onto the shore. The purple dragon led the way into the trees, following both his memory and scent.

Ken picked Wormmon up in his arms, not wanting to lose his small Digimon in the underbrush. "I wonder what it's like," he mused.

"Full of beetles," Monodramon said with a sarcastic laugh. "No... it's a dense part of the forest where Digimon like Tentomon, Kabuterimon, Dokunemon, and Kuwagamon live," he said, as he sniffed at the bark of a tree they passed, which led him to make a turn. "Most of their homes are inside big, carved out hollow trees."

Ken laughed gently. "No, I mean living with your heightened senses."

"Oh!" Monodramon looked over his shoulder, surprised that was what Ken meant. "Hm." He looked back at the trees, shrugging his shoulders. "It's nice, I suppose..."

"I'm sure," Ken nodded. Of course his ponderings went deeper than that. Obviously Ryo's sense of smell was better, but were others just as strong? Ken brought one hand to hover over his mouth and whispered almost silently, "Purple really is your color."

The little spikes on the side of Monodramon's face wiggled and he looked over his shoulder with a bit of a confused expression. "What?"

Ken blinked and tried not to smile. "Hm?"

"I-It is not my color," Monodramon said, turning his nose up and then smirking slightly. "I'd say it's more your color!" he said, pointing a claw at the boy's indigo hair.

Ken laughed. "No, white is more my color. Purple is handsome on you."

"I think it's a bit different when it's my skin," Monodramon groaned, raking a hand across his face.

"You don't think it would look good on you even as a human?" Ken asked. He was imagining Ryo in a nice, deep purple turtleneck sweater and smiled. "You should give it a chance."

"Mm, maybe," Monodramon said, laughing and flicking his tail. "You'd have to take me shopping, though. I don't own anything purple."

Ken laughed as well. "Oh, trust me, when we get home, I'm taking you on a giant shopping spree."

Monodramon just laughed again as he went back to sniffing out their path. "I look forward to it." Slowly, the forest became denser, and their pace had to slow as underbrush grew over the worn footpath they had been following. The sunlight was becoming dimmer as the canopy of foliage came closer together, but there was a soft golden glow in the trees ahead of them that still allowed their way to remain lit.

Ken carefully watched the glow ahead of them. Never having been to Beetle Land before, he really didn't know what to expect. "Is that it? Up there?"

"Yeah, it looks like one of the carved out trees," Monodramon said, squinting before nodding in affirmation. "Since the light doesn't usually get through the trees, they lit everything up themselves from inside the trees they live in."

As they got closer, Ken started to hear a small, yet boisterous voice. "Line up, maggots! No that was not a joke! You three, I said line up!"

Ken bit his lip. "Sounds like a little tight-ass."

"Sounds to me like he's just really into the job," Monodramon snorted. Wormmon just seemed a little saddened by the buzzing choice of words. "Convincing him might be a little harder than I thought..." Monodramon murmured as he peered through the foliage.

Ken saw little bubbles floating up out of one of the trees and frowned. Wandering over carefully, he peered down inside. The tree had been hollowed out deep below the ground. There, down in the bottom, he saw at least fifty little Pabumon huddled together. Some were releasing bubbles, why, he didn't know. What Ken did know was that a rope net was strung up between them and opening in the tree. "Oh my God!"

Monodramon shuffled over to where Ken was standing, though he found himself a little too short to see into the tree, though he tried a few times with little success. "What's going on?" he asked in a low voice.

"They're holding Pabumon down there!" Ken exclaimed in a loud whisper.

"What?" If Monodramon had fur, it probably would have bristled. His wings rose up in agitation instead. "Of course it wasn't going to be just a training camp..." he sighed through his teeth. "Well, if they're being held, at least they probably will be reluctant to attack... and if we can get them out without being noticed there will be less of an attack force for this officer to work with."

Ken shook his head. "No! No, Ryo! Pabumon are Data Digimon. Remember what Ketomon said? Data Digimon are supposed to be neutral territory. Puroromon must be holding them as collateral for something."

Monodramon looked thoughtful about this. "Hm, I suppose you're right... if you believe what he said." Monodramon made a face. "He didn't seem all that willing to help us out, I wouldn't be surprised if he was lying. Still... Pabumon..." He started to think about it for a moment. "Those are the baby forms of Tentomon. Perhaps Puroromon took over the village and is keeping his power this way."

"Either way," Ken insisted, "we have to let them out."

"Right," Monodramon said with a nod.

"I could try and make a web for them to climb up," Wormmon offered from Ken's arms.

"In a minute," Ken replied. He set Wormmon down only to pick Monodramon up with a slight grunt and hold him down inside the opening of the tree. "Get the net open so they can get out."

"On it!" Monodramon said. "Beat Knuckle!" he announced, though he tried to keep his voice down, slashing at the net with his long claws.

Ken smiled when the net fell to one side. It caught the attention of the Pabumon below who all began to chant their names excitedly and blow bubbles happily. Ken had to grunt louder this time as he hauled Monodramon out of the tree, falling back with the purple dragon on top of him. "Ooof!"

Monodramon slapped his hands over his mouth to keep from crying out in surprise when they fell backwards. Outside, Wormmon was already crafting his net ladder out of silk and watched with an amused expression as Monodramon looked over his shoulder at the face of a boy who was quite obviously struggling under the Digimon's weight. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly.

"Just get off!" Ken wheezed.

Monodramon rolled off the boy and scrambled to his feet before offering his hand to help him up. He had a toothy smirk on that showed he was quite amused as Wormmon was- after all, this wasn't really his body so he hadn't any reason to be embarrassed about its weight. Although too short to help Ken up to his feet he did get the boy into a sitting position before he again laughed, "Sorry." Ken took the offered hand and sat up with a gentle groan. Damn that dragon was heavy. When Wormmon had a good ladder going, he picked the green worm up and held him at the opening of the tree. The silken escape rope lowered steadily as Wormmon spun it, and soon the Pabumon were taking notice. Wormmon made a motion for the Pabumon to climb up the net with his claws once it was long enough to touch the bottom of the pit. He removed the end from his mouth and stuck it to the edge of the opening and then inched back to let them come up and pass.

Ken picked them up as they got closer to the mouth of the tree and set them down on the ground carefully. "I can't imagine how long they've been trapped in there," he said. Clearly the Pabumon were greatful as they began to cheer and congregate around Ken's feet. "No!" the boy gasped. "Sshhh! Sshhh!"

Monodramon quickly put his hands over the pacifier-like mouths of two of the Pabumon, hushing the rest as best he could. Wormmon looked worriedly down at them as he helped another up out of the pit. "Just a bit longer guys, everyone's almost out..."

As more and more Pabumon filed out of the tree, Ken only just did realize he didn't know what they were going to do with all of the baby Digimon. "We might not have thought this through..."

"How s-ohhhhh..." Monodramon started to ask, only to come to the same realization as the words came out of his mouth. "Hm... We can't ask them to help us, Pabumon are not good for battle. We'll need to find a safe place where they won't be found closeby."

"Can't we just... let them run away?" Ken asked. "I mean, do they really even belong in Beetleland?"

"They are baby Tentomon most likely," Monodramon said with a shrug. "I think they know best if they're supposed to be here. If we did have them run away, it would be to Primary Village, but..." He looked over his shoulder into the forest, frowning. "We'd have to accompany them, I wouldn't send them out there alone."

Before Ken could offer another solution, the Pabumon seemed to be giving their final thanks and then crawling their way up into the tops of the trees. Their tiny bodies disappeared easily into the darkness and the thickness of leaves and branches. Soon, not even their little voices could be heard. "Huh..." Ken breathed oddly. "I guess that's that, then..."

"Should've guessed they'd have their own defense mechanisms," Monodramon said with a small laugh, getting back on his feet and watching as the Pabumon vanished. Content, he looked back to Ken and Wormmon and gave a nod. "Shall we go, then?"

"If only being a hero was always that easy," Ken said and nodded in return. He guided the small group closer towards the center tree where all the over confident barking was coming from. After helping Wormmon and Monodramon up so they could see, he peered inside as well. Ken was actually suprised to see a Pururomon wearing a little military beret on its head, and lined up in front of him was, what could easily have been, one hundred Pupumon.

"All right, you maggots, listen up! I expect nothing less than perfection from you! Fail at anything just once, and you'll be looking at the inside of your egg again!"

Monodramon's eyes went wide when he saw the Pupumon and at once wriggled to the ground, pulling Ken and Wormmon down with him. "Careful," he hissed. "Pupumon are really sensitive to movement, and if they haven't already seen us, they will notice if we hang out by the windo-" He was cut off by the amazingly loud sound of hundreds of little buzzing wings, and froze in place as soon as they started.

"Are we screwed?" Ken whispered.

"It's quite possible," Monodramon whispered back. Suddenly, the little Pupumon began streaming out of the trees through the windows and front door in a huge swarm.

Ken had squeezed his eyes shut when the buzzing swarm began. Somehow, hundreds of wings managed to dull down into a quiet hum. This encouraged Ken to crack one eye open and look over his shoulder. There, a very angry, albiet cute, looking little blue and white Digimon was hovering beside him. It tried to growl and Ken snickered. This wasn't taken well as the rest of the Pupumon suddenly began buzzing violently. "Aaiiieeeeee!" Ken screamed, grabbing Wormmon in one arm and Monodramon's hand in the other, and then began to run wildly through the trees.

"Gah!" Monodramon nearly tripped over his flat feet when Ken suddenly yanked him along. "Ken, where are you going?" he shouted as he tried to regain his balance.

"Away from here!" Ken shouted back.

Suddenly, he heard a unified cry of "Posion Bubbles!" which made him scream quite girlishly and run even faster.

"I told you, Ryo! I told you massive amounts of baby Digimon were trouble! I told you!"

"We haven't even tried fighting them yet, Ken!" Monodramon yanked his hand away, turning around and running the opposite direction of Ken, towards the bubbles.

"Ryo!" Wormmon gasped, looking over Ken's shoulder at the other Digimon.

"Beat Knuckle!" Monodramon shouted, spreading his wings wide. He slashed his claws through the air, and his wings popped a huge amount of the bubbles, leaving him unharmed and making the rest simply float uselessly past. "Cracking Bite!" He ran forward and snapped his jaws at one of the Pupumon, making a whole group of them flutter away fearfully.

Ken skid to a stop and turned just in time to see the Pupumon fluttering away. "What..." He heard a buzzing in his right ear, turned, and saw a scowling Pupumon there. At first Ken wasn't sure what to do, still afraid it could do some damage, but when nothing happened between them he simply took a breath and said, "Boo!" The Pupumon squealed in fear and flew upward into the branches of the trees.

Monodramon grinned as he watched the huge swarm of Pupumon buzz off from his feint of an attack. He turned around with his hands confidently resting on his hips, a smirk pulled across his draconian maw. "See?"

"Still..." Ken said with a pout. "It was overwhelming at first. You have to admit."

"There were a lot of them, but we aren't going to get anywhere by running! Well... we would, but... You know what I mean! Now let's go find Puroromon!" He said this before he dashed back to the tree, waving for Ken to follow.

Ken followed after Monodramon back to the tree. Again they were peering inside, but it appeared to be empty. "Where do you suppose..."

"Chikkuritto!" an determined little voice declared, followed by Ken yelping and slapping his hands over his backside.

"It stung me in the butt!" he shouted. Puroromon was snickering now, delighted with himself. Ken was less than amused though as his hand shot out and snatched the little Digimon by the wings.

"H-Hey! Lemme go!"

"Careful with his wings," Monodramon warned, before he stormed up to the little Digimon, peering into his little eyes. "You're one of the officers of The Infection, right?"

"So what if I am?" the yellow Digimon buzzed bravely, the little beret tilted forward on his head to emphasize his attitude.

"We want you to stop what you're doing here, and we won't turn you back into a DigiEgg if you agree to stop on your own," Monodramon said simply, crossing his arms, obviously unintimidated by Puroromon's tough act.

"Hahahahaaa!" Puroromon laughed proudly. "You cannot stop what has already been put into motion!" he declared. "I'm not afraid of you! Gaiomon promised to evolve me into FanBeemon if I trained the Privates!"

"A promise of evoultion won't do you very good if you're an egg, will it?" Monodramon retorted with a quick, irritated snap of his jaws.

Puruomon laughed again. "Send me back to an egg if you will! I can be hatced a thousand times over! Then, when Gaiomon's promised his fulfilled, I will come after you!" Monodramon grit his teeth, and suddenly whipped his hand out to try and grab the little Digimon. "Haha!" Puroromon went to dodge the dragon's hand, but Ken's grip on him was a little too strong. He jerked in one direction and was accompanied by a painful ripping sound. Ken stood there looking in horror at the two little wings still pinched between his fingers. Indigo eyes swept over to the little yellow Digimon that was also looking at its lost wings, giant tears welling up in its eyes. Before Ken could offer a word of comfort, Puroromon began to sob loudly.

Monodramon gasped at the sudden sound, his eyes going wide when he realized what had happened. Puroromon still had four wings left after those two had been torn off, but that had to be painful. His mouth hung open, hand still poised to grab though there was nothing for it to, and his eyes quickly glanced over to Ken and Wormmon who both looked equally distraught. "What now?"

Ken was still at a loss for words, mouth agape and shaking his head slowly. "Fine!" Puroromon suddenly shouted between his tears. He yanked the military beret off his head and threw it to the ground. "If you all are going to be such awful bullies, then I quit!" he cried and flew away, dropping through the air now and then as he went.

"I... I... I'm a horrible person," Ken breathed.

"N-no, that was my fault," Monodramon said, sighing as he watched the little Digimon fly off. That's not how he would have hoped that would happen, but thankfully Puroromon's wings would grow back when he Digivolved. He'd just have to deal with a bit of pain. "C'mon, let's go check and see if there are any more prisoners," Monodramon murmured, tugging on Ken's free hand to try and pull him from where he was frozen in place.

Ken nodded weakly. He released the two little wings and watched them fall to the grass. Ken allowed himself to be pulled along by Monodramon, holding onto his clawed paw. "It's okay for me to feel bad, though... right?"

"Yeah, of course. I feel bad too..." He frowned, pursing his lips together. "Even if he was a bit of a little dictator, he still was a kid... But neither of us could have seen it coming and feeling bad about it doesn't reverse it."

"Little kid dictator... Yeah..." Ken murmured, squeezing Monodramon's hand. "I know how that feels..."

"What- Oh. Oh... I'm sorry, Ken," Monodramon said quietly.

"It's easy to get swept up, y'know? First, it's just playing pretend. You feel like a grown-up. It feels good. Then... the chance at power gets offered to you for real. Consumes you... really easily, so... So it's hard to come back down."

"I-... I see how it could be. Yeah." Monodramon coughed, feeling quite embarrassed for inadvertantly bringing the topic up.

"I'm sorry... This is awkward, isn't it?" Ken released the comforting grip of Monodramon's hand and went off to inspect more trees. Soon enough he found one with more netting over its opening. He looked inside to see DigiEggs, all of them gradating from blue to white to pale peach like Pupumon themselves. "Guess these ones didn't meet his standards," Ken mumbled as he started pulling on the ropes.

"Now I don't feel as bad," Monodramon sighed as he whipped out his claws and cut through the ropes. "There isn't much we can do for these unless we sit here and try to hatch each one. At least this way they'll be able to get out when they hatch."

"I think that's the best we can do," Ken said with a nod. "It looks like this was the last of them. While things didn't exactly go the way I thought they would, at least we got the job done..." The boy sighed tiredly. "So... Tropical Jungle, then. We have to find Kyaromon."

"Right. Hopefully that will go a bit smoother," Monodramon murmured, rolling his shoulders back with his own sigh. "Maybe we should head to File City first, though."

Ken frowned. "What? Why? You were the one who wanted to get on the officers as quickly as possible. Why detour again so soon?"

"Rest. Get our bearings straight. Besides, there's a bridge heading straight from File City into Tropical Jungle," Monodramon said with a shrug.

"Well, I guess if it's on the way," Ken submitted with a nod. "Let's get moving before it gets too dark." Monodramon nodded his head, and with a small sniff of the air, started to lead the way. It wasn't a perfect victory, and they'd need to clean up their methods a bit, but it was a victory nonetheless. Their first step to, hopefully, stopping the war.


	15. To Tame the Wild Monodramon

Jijimon had been generous enough to offer his home again. They only stayed one night, not watning to get lazy or waste too much time. Ken wasn't comfortable around so many other people, either. Well... Digimon. Jijimon told them what he could about Kyaromon, which really wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. Apparently this one was a diva of sorts. Like Ryo had said, only a bridge separated File City from Tropical Jungle. Almost immediately after stepping into the new territory and they were assaulted with a sticky humidity Ken could not believe. His hair and clothes stuck to him in such an ungodly manner and it was so gross. "Anybody who lives here is crazy," the boy said, fanning his face with his hand.

Monodramon looked pleased with himself when he realized that his new body wasn't much affected by the humidity. His tail wagged until he looked up at Ken and saw how sticky he already was, which brought a small frown to his face. Trying to find a bit of humor in the situation, he pointed to a passing Digimon. "That's a Muchomon," he said to Ken with a small laugh to himself. The Digimon looked like a penguin with a fanged beak and bright red plummage. "Even though they're a type of Penguinmon, they live in this really hot climate."

Ken managed a soft laugh. "Kind of like Humboldt penguins, huh?" he said and watched the red bird scuttle by.

"Humboldt?" Monodramon asked, waving his hand and starting to lead the way into the swath of tropical trees. "I haven't heard of those kinds."

"You don't remember learning about them?" Ken asked. "That was like... 3rd grade stuff. The Humboldt penguins are the ones that live and breed on the coasts of Peru and Chile. They're one of only maybe two or three types of penguins that live in warmer climates."

"Oh... No, I don't really remember," Monodramon admitted, scratching at the back of his head. "I have so many Digital World facts and memories up here that I think the real world stuff got shoved out."

This made Ken laugh. "Knowledge and memories don't just get 'shoved out,' Ryo."

"Well then I just forgot how to remember them," Monodramon said with a small pout. "Because I don't."

"I'm sure you'll start to remember things when we go back home," Ken insisted with a smile.

"I hope so," Monodramon said with a small smile, eyes turning up to look at the trees as he navigated them through the jungle. It had started off on a beach near the bridge, but the ground got swampier the deeper they went in.

"Eww... It's so nasty out here," Ken groaned dramatically.

"Ohmigosh, you guys have to do so much better than this. I mean, what was that? Alphamon is totally not gonna be cool about this," said a prissy voice from somewhere off to their rights. Ken blinked curiously after the voice and wandered in that direction. He was rewarded with finding the diva Digimon. Kyaromon was prancing about like a little cheerleader with a little army of Pafumon she had at her command watching her intently.

Monodramon followed closely, peering through the leaves at the training camp. Wormmon did the same, and looked very confused at what he saw. It seemed a lot less intimidating than Puroromon's, that was for sure. "So how are we going to do this one?" Monodramon asked in a hushed whisper.

"Call her fat and tell her that her best friend stole her boyfriend?" Ken suggested from watching the Digimon's behavior. "Or maybe we can just throw shiny things at her."

"Bit sexist there, are we Ken?" Monodramon joked, elbowing Ken slightly.

"Hey, I like a good looking ring as much as the next girl, but she's just..." Ken watched as she actually used her single-clawed paw to flip one of her ears back. "Look at her!"

Kyaromon's ears twitched and she spun around on her feet, big blue eyes scanning the area. "Like, spies!" she hissed. "Shippo Swing!"

The next thing Ken felt was a sharp sting on the side of his face where her purple striped tail struck. "Why is it always me?" Ken asked dryly. "And rude!"

"So not!" Kyaromon argued. "You guys are totally the ones spying on us! You're rude!"

"Well you're fat!"

Kyaromon gasped. "I have a thick coat! Your hair is shabby!"

Ken gasped. "It's humid out here!" Monodramon and Wormmon sort of shuffled out of the undergrowth, watching as what could only be defined as a catfight unfolded before them. They traded glances, mouths open to say something, but were both speechless and turned back to the fight, eyes moving like they were watcing a tennis match. Even Kyaromon's troops stopped to stare at the insult trade.

"Your fur is dirty!" Ken shot.

Kyaromon huffed. "Toffee is my natural color! You're all gross and pasty!"

"I'm moon skinned!" Ken argued. "And I'll have you know that human boys find it very attractive!"

"Only if they can see past those hobo sacks you call clothes!"

"This outfit is retail, you twit!"

"Skank!"

"Heifer!"

"You take that back!"

"Make me!"

"Gladly! Shippo Swing!"

"Not this time!" Ken grabbed Kyaromon by her tail before it could strike.

She cried out at being caught and wriggled wildly in his hold. "Like, let me go!"

"I'm not so sure I feel like it," Ken replied and gave her a good shake.

"Ladies, ladies, please," Monodramon said, finally getting his voice back and approaching, putting a hand on Ken's side to hopefully snap him out of shaking the little Digimon. "This isn't how we intended to solve this," he reminded the other boy with a slight frown.

"She started it," Ken hissed, sticking his tongue out at Kyaromon.

"Put her down," Monodramon said, making a lowering motion with his hands.

Ken huffed. "Fine," he groaned and set Kyaromon down on the ground.

"At least you know how to treat a girl," she said to the purple dragon.

Monodramon smirked slightly at that. "I've been told as much." He cast Ken a sort of apologetic look for butting into his fight, but then quickly looked back to Kyaromon. "Sorry about that."

"Apology accepted, I guress," she said with a prissy flick of her tail. "Now, like, why were you guys even spying on us the first place? Seems like a total Virus thing to do."

"I'm a Vaccine type," Monodramon said. Wormmon sort of hid behind Ken's legs. "We're looking for your general."

Kyaromon flapped her ears cutely and giggled. "Silly boy! I'm the Lieutenant!"

"I know, that's not what I meant. We're looking for the leader of the movement, trying to locate the capitol."

She giggled again. "Oh that. Well, like, I don't really know where it is."

"Typical," Ken muttered under his breath which earned him a hiss from Kyaromon.

"I didn't think so," Monodramon said with a shrug. "Most people don't right? Well, we're going to work our way up through your ranks until we find someone that does know... And we want you to stop what you're doing here."

"I just know that like, Alphamon comes to me when he needs anything." Kyaromon then fluttered her big blue eyes at Monodramon. "Why would you wanna stop little ol' me? I'm not doing anything."

"You know you are," Monodramon said with a frown. "Training these Baby Digimon for a war... We're shutting it down, from the bottom up," Monodramon said as he crossed his arms again. "We're asking nicely first."

"Well what about those nasty Virus Digimon?" she asked with a pout and stepped closer to him. "They started this war. What are you going to do about them? We have to be able to protect ourselves. Unless..." Kyaromon moved right up along Monodramon and rubbed against him, purring. "You're willing to protect us."

If Ken had fur, he'd be bristled from head to toe.

Monodramon was speechless for a moment. Was he being hit on by a puffball with legs? He coughed, regaining his voice quickly. "We've already stopped the Virus Lieutenant. We want both sides of the conflict to stop."

Kyaromon continued to purr. "That's all, like, good and junk, but what about the Rookies? If they come after us, we'll be totally all helpless. You going to stay and be our big, strong, hottie hero?"

Monodramon was about to at once refuse, but then a thought came to his mind. They didn't know where the next level of Virus Digimon were. "Do they... attempt to attack here often?" he asked slowly.

"I'm pretty sure I see them sneaking around here sometimes," she replied. "They come all the way from Breezy Village, sure, but like... Penguinmon is in Freezeland and we can't just ask him to come running every single time."

"Right..." Monodramon thought on it for a few minutes. Ken would absolutely hate the idea, but if they worked with Kyaromon for a while, they'd have a lead for where to find the Rookie Virus-types. "Alright, I accept."

Ken stiffened. "What?" he shouted.

Kyaromon just trilled happily and pranced on her little toes. "You're like, so the best!"

Monodramon nodded his head slightly. "I couldn't let you guys stay here knowing you'd get attacked. But in return... you have to promise to break this up once the threat is gone. Deal?"

Kyaromon was about to agree whole heartedly when Ken literally stepped between them. "No! No deal! We can find the Captains on our own!"

"Ken," Monodramon hissed, putting a hand on his leg. "It's not just about finding the Captains. Think of the big picture here."

"What? Like getting some Digimon tail?" Ken hissed in reply.

"Stop it," Monodramon said with a deep frown. "How else do you propose we deal with breaking this up? This is easier and we'll be helping all of the Baby Digimon troops keep safe, too."

Ken pointed at Kyaromon who had occupied herself with Pafumon, all making sure she was looking her prettiest and her fluffiest for their new guardian. "You tell me that keeping Baby Digimon safe is at the front of her mind."

"I don't care what she intends, I think if we watch over them for a little while and then get her to agree to breaking this up, they'll be safe." Monodramon spread his arms wide, raising his wings, which was a natural attempt to look bigger that he didn't even notice he was doing. "This is a great plan. Kyaromon will easily agree to letting all of the Baby Digimon go and we'll have our lead to where the next group of Digimon are." He noticed his arms up in the air and quickly snapped them back down, putting his hands on his hips instead. "And guess what, Ken? She said they're coming from Breezy Village, which I know is on the Continent of Flame- and there's no way for us to get there unless we wait until a Trailmon shows up! If we wait for them to come to us, we'll know exactly when one arrives."

Ken tried to stare Ryo down, but the young man's personality was too strong, not to mention he was still a near 20 year old just trapped inside a Digimon's body. "Fine," Ken huffed, "but I still don't have to like it." With that, he picked up Wormmon and marched off a ways so he could grumble on his own.

When Kyaromon noticed the human was gone, which was really just a second after he'd left, she pranced back up to Monodramon and smiled at him. "You wanna growl for me, big boy? Show me what you got?"

"Gr-growl?" Monodramon said, looking a bit surprised by the request. "Um, sure." He took a breath in, trying to channel his inner-Digimon, and gave his best attempt at a growl- which, luckily for him, was pretty great, since his draconian maw wouldn't allow for a measily growl to pass through its lips.

Kyaromon shivered and squealed excitedly. "Oooooh! Nobody's gonna mess with you!"

Monodramon laughed, scratching at the back of his head. "I'm glad."

Meanwhile, Wormmon was looking up at Ken's angry expression with a concerned look on his face. "Are you going to be okay, Ken?"

"Wormmon, do Digimon fall in love?" Ken asked, though his voice was still kind of sharp.

"It's possible Ken, yes," Wormmon said, looking a bit confused by the question. "Some Digimon never even think about love, they're just too beast-like. But there are others, the calmer, more rational crowd, that have the emotional capacity... why?"

"Do they love to the point of wanting to mate?" Ken asked next. "You know... practice procreation?"

Wormmon blushed a little bit. "I guess... maybe? I wouldn't know, Ken."

Ken hummed, not really seeming satisfied with that answer, but chose not to push. He found a spot and sat down, keeping Wormmon in his lap while he stared into the thicket of the jungle.

Wormmon seemed a little flustered by the question, but eventually calmed himself down and the slight red color vanished from his green cheeks. "Why do you ask, Ken?" he asked quietly after a moment.

"It was hard enough getting Ryo to pay attention to me when we were both humans," Ken explained. "There were some really great moments, but there was so much more for him to learn. Now, being Monodramon, and soon Strikedramon, I have to potentially compete with any female Digimon that comes along. I mean, you saw the way Kyaromon was flirting with him!"

"I don't think you have to worry about that, Ken," Wormmon said, frowning in that way of his. "Even if Ryo is a Digimon right now, he's still got a human mind... he isn't going to be interested in Digimon."

"How can you be so sure, though?" Ken asked. "There are plenty of humanoid female Digimon out there. Look at Angewomon! Even I know she's hot!"

"Ryo's sensible, Ken," Wormmon said, patting the back of his boy's hand. "I think even if he did think Angewomon was... hot... he'd have the forethought to realize he'd be essentially going after Gatomon. And if he's okay with that... well, that's a whole different kettle of fish."

Ken sighed. "When we learned about the war, I didn't mind so much. Sure it was a distraction, but Ryo was still a human and that offered opportunities for being together. To learn and catch up and explore and feel. Now though... Him being a Digimon... It almost feels like the universe is telling me we aren't allowed to be with each other. You... You're great company, Wormmon. You're my best friend and I love you, but... Humans need something a little more, you know? I just always hoped Ryo could be that something I needed."

"I wouldn't say the universe is telling you that, Ken... If anything, I think these trials will make your bond stronger." His antenna perked up as he offered what he could manage of a smile. "You care for him and help him through this time, and he'll do the same for you. And you're just going to have to trust him through all of it... isn't that what love is about?"

Ken looked down at his Digimon with a sad smile, but still drew Wormmon in close for a hug. "I trust you, Wormmon, and I trust the things you have to say, so... I'll just have to be patient, I guess."

Wormmon hummed quietly. "I may not seem like I know what I'm saying, Ken, but... well, I once liked a girl very much."

The boy pulled back with a surprised look on his face. "You did?"

"Y-yes, once," Wormmon admitted, tapping his front claws together. "She was a Butterflymon. She was... very pretty."

Ken still looked at his Digimon, eyes wide with wonder. "What happened between you two?"

"Well, um... I'd meet her sometimes when I was Digivolved into Stingmon, after we'd finished our work in the Digital World for the day... before we joined up with the Digidestined. We'd fly around and have a good time... but once we both devolved, and well, I'm a Wormmon and she was a Gatomon under all that well-polished armor. She didn't think it would work out after that." He took one of his antenna and twirled it between his claws. "She had assumed I was a Mikemon or something."

Now the boy was frowning sadly. "That hardly seems fair. She liked you as Stingmon, why would being a Wormmon make a difference? You're still the same person no matter what form you're in. That's the part of you she should have liked. A sweet and gentle Wormmon is better than a Mikemon that could have turned out to be a jerk or something."

"Some Digimon just think it's strange," Wormmon said with a small shrug. "If she didn't think it would work... well then, it wouldn't, would it?"

"I'm still sorry it didn't work out," Ken sighed. "I can tell you really liked her."

"I did... But it just wasn't meant to be." Wormmon laughed, his antenna perking up again. "I'm not going anywhere, so I'm in no rush."

Ken smiled. "Maybe we'll find you a pretty lady Wormmon. You can be a nice handsom Stingmon, and we'll help her become a smokin' attractive Shadramon. How does that sound?"

Wormmon couldn't help his blush returning. "I'd like that... As long as she's sweet too."

"Of course!" Ken chirped. "Only the best for you, Wormmon. You deserve it. She'll be sweet, cute, funny, and resourcful."

Wormmon blushed a bit brighter, a little smile obvious on his face despite his pinchers. "I'd like that, Ken."

Ken laughed sweetly. "Aw, Wormmon, you are a little love bug!" he giggled and rubbed foreheads with his Digimon.

Wormmon laughed embarrassedly, his antenna twitching. "I hope things work out well for the both of us."

Ken nodded. "I hope so, too, Wormmon." Feeling better after their talk, Ken was ready to go back. When he got there, through, he saw Monodramon on his back and Kyaromon standing on his chest, giggling.

"You're such a pig!" the boy huffed before storming away again, not bothering to take Wormmon with him this time. It was just too bad Ken didn't know what really happened. That being Kyaromon had taken to chasing Monodramon around despite his displeasure for the little game and had just managed to jump him. "I have you now!" she purred and batted her big blue eyes.

Monodramon groaned, having hit the ground a bit hard. "Ow, Kyaromon..." he sighed, sitting up just a bit and rubbing at his neck. He hadn't realized what a handful Kyaromon would be. It hadn't even been an hour and she was running him into the ground. He glanced over at the Baby troops, who had all taken to playing or sleeping with their leaders occupied. That was something, at least.

"Your human is like, such a huge bummer," Kyaromon pouted. "Ohmigosh! We should totally ditch him and go look for candy bushes! I bet we can even find some chocolate and we'll feed them to each other all romantic and stuff."

"He's just tired," Monodramon assured her, trying to dodge the candy bush idea. "I am too, actually. We travelled a really long way to get here."

This did not deter Kyaromon at all from flirting. In fact, it was probably one of the last things Ryo should have brought up. "Well then..." she purred sweety and rubbed her tiny nose to his snout, "you can curl right up next to me and we'll like, have sweet dreams together."

Monodramon kept his composure. He just kept telling himself it was only for a few days. "Sleep sounds nice," he murmured, leaning his head back.

"Good." Kyaromon did a few turns on top of Monodramon, like a cat making a nest, and soon curled up just under his chin. Clearly on purpose, her tail began to gently brush back and forth over the rest of his body. Monodramon just did his best to ignore it, putting his hands behind his head. He'd gotten pretty good at that, apparently, as he quite quickly fell asleep.

"I say!" declared a very posh toned voice. "What on Server are you doing with my girlfriend?"

Kyaromon blinked her eyes open. It felt far too early for this, but it wasn't. Even the Baby Digimon had woken up a few hours ago. She looked up to see a very stout purple bird standing over them, wings on his hips with a frown. "Penguinmon!" she cheered and jumped to her feet, still on top of Monodramon. "Hi baby! Like, what are you doing here?"

"I sent for him," said Ken, who was standing beside the Freezeland native Garurumon, who had transported the Vaccine Captain. "I told a Tentomon that lives in the area that you had lost your position as an officer. That you were unprotected. That you needed the Captain."

"Quite right!" Penguinmon said with a nod. "I came here to help and quite find you in the company of this... scaley gentleman."

Monodramon blinked his eyes open, rubbing his eyes as a yawn cracked through his maw. "Girlfriend?" he asked sleepily, obviously not quite all there yet.

"Yeah duh!" Kyaromon chirped happily. "Penguinmon is totally my boo!"

Penguinmon sighed heavily, though he still managed a smile. "You mean beau, darling."

"Uh-huh! My boo!"

Monodramon just leaned his head back and put his hand over his eyes. Great, he'd gotten himself lodged in a love triangle... again. "Then why are you sleeping on me..." he groaned.

"Yes, sweet, why don't you share your, I'm sure very sound, reasoning for that," Penguinmon urged.

Kyaromon looked between Monodramon and Penguinmon and then shrugged. "Well he just came along acting all alpha and it made my fur bristle!" she answered with a giggle. "His friend was like... a total loser and was picking on me, but Monodramon saved me. That's when I knew he must like me. I mean, duh, I know he can't help him. I'm so way beyond cute, right? I just didn't want to let the poor guy down."

As crazy as her story was, the even crazier thing was the way Penguinmon was nodding along. He sincerely believed her words. "Well then, my sweet, if it is a matter over the grace of your heart, there is only one thing to do." He gently urged Kyaromon off Monodramon only to then slap the dragon across the face. "A duel!" he squawked.

Kyaromon squealed and pranced excitedly. "Omigawd! You two are totally gonna fight over me no way!"

Monodramon suddenly jerked awake when he got the slap across the face, doubling up into an upright position. "Duel?" he echoed, rubbing his cheek with a frown. "Alright buddy, you're on," he said, getting to his feet and shaking himself free of sleep.

Ken slapped a hand over his face and sighed. "Ryo, do you know what you're dueling for?"

Monodramon just shrugged his shoulders. "Beating an officer is beating an officer," he said simply.

Then Ken groaned. "Ryo, you're dueling for the right to be Kyaromon's romantic companion. If you do this and win, she will never leave you alone."

"It's true," Kyaromon said with a giggle.

"And I shall hasten home with a weary and broken heart," added Penguinmon.

"Relax, Ken," Monodramon said, waving his hand. "I've done this before."

"You've won the heart of girl by dueling before?" Ken asked dryly. "Thanks, I so wanted to hear that. Go on, then. Fight your little fight."

Monodramon just rolled his eyes. "Penguinmon," he said, addressing the bird now standing across from him. "An added incentive. If I win, I want you to stop whatever war training you're doing in Freezeland."

Penguinmon gestured his wing over his mouth and chuckled quite obnoxiously. "My good fellow, training? What on Server do you possibly think I'm training in that frozen desert tundra?"

"My Penguiboo makes weapons!" Kyaromon chirped proudly with a little hop.

"Fine," Monodramon said, shrugging his shoulders. "Stop doing that, then. Anything you're doing towards the war effort, that's what I want you to stop. You can counter-propose an added benefit towards your victory, too."

"I get to take my sweet Kyaromon back with me," proposed Penguinmon. "I'd glady give up my glacier castle for her! So a mere weapons factory is no gamble."

"Fine," Monodramon said, getting into a battle-ready stance. "Kyaromon, would you be so kind as to give us a count-down?" he asked, without taking his eyes off Penguinmon.

"Totally!" Kyaromon pranced up to stand between them. "Fighters, ready! Go!" she squeaked and waved her tail as the signal.

"Slide Attack!" Penguinmon declared, taking a running start before falling onto his belly and sliding across the grass. His goal was to knock Monodramon down defenseless before actually attacking. Monodramon was quick, however, and bent his knees before using his strong legs to launch himself into the air. He used his wings to keep aloft for just long enough before Penguinmon was right under him, and came crashing down on his back with his feet before leaping off and landing a few feet away. Penguinmon squawked in pain, but he managed to summersault around and aimed his open beak at Monodramon. "Ice Prism!" Which was followed by a fury of ice shards shooting their way right at the dragon.

Monodramon put his arms up, blocking the attack as best as he could with his wings. He hissed in pain, but managed to flick away what was left of the attack by whipping his arms apart again. "Beat Knuckle!" he roared, running forward at an alarming speed and aiming a well-timed punch across Penguinmon's face.

Kyaromon was giggling and dancing around, quite pleased. "Oh boys, fighting over little ole me? You're just too much!"

Penguinmon seemed alarmed at first, but then steeled himself. "Endless Faceslap!" he exclaimed. The first slap was used to knock Monodramon's fist away. The numerous, or more approriatelty, exceedingly numerous consecutive slaps that came after struck the purple Digimon upon both cheeks. "Have at you, sir!"

Monodramon cried out when he was suddenly assaulted with the hands across his face. One wouldn't think a slap would hurt too badly, but those flippers really stung. Eventually he growled and jerked his head back just long enough to roar, "Cracking Bite!" His jaws snapped down on one of Penguinmon's flippers, effectively stopping it.

Again Penguinmon squaked in pain. He was so loud, in fact, that Ken had to cover his ears. "I do say! That quite canes, you beast!" Penguinmon went on to say, thought still in that horrible squark of a voice. "Ice Prism!" His beak opened and release a barrage of ice crystals into Monodramon's face.

"Agh!" Monodramon let go, stumbling backwards with his hands on his eyes. He removed them only to gasp when he realized that his vision was really messed up from the attack. Luckily, he could see a blurry blue blob that was definately Penguinmon coming towards him, and instead of allowing himself to be impaired, Monodramon took off and jumped at Penguinmon for his best football tackle.

Ken had also gasped when he saw those shards fly into Ryo's face. The boy wanted so badly to run to the Digimon, but it would be foolish to get in the middle of a battle. "Ryo, be careful!"

Penguinmon had been so sure his attack would keep Monodramon down that he'd taken a second to triumph over himself. That of course was a mistake. Another alarmed squawk signaled his being tackled brutally to the ground. "My word!" he cried. "Brute! Can't even fight with honor? Foolery! Shameless foolery, I say!"

"Who are you to talk about honor, you blinded me!" Monodramon snapped, fumbling with his hands to try and get a grab on Penguinmon's flippers.

"Only to release your ghastly toothed grip on me!" Penguinmon shot back as he flailed around in an attempt to get off his back.

"Fighting is fighting, deal with it!" Monodramon growled, attempting to give the bird a taste of his own medicine with his own return slaps with one hand, forward and back against his face.

"My word! Good gracious! Oh my! I say!" Penguinmon cried with each slap, each one harder and more brutal than the last. Violent even. Kyaromon had stepped back, shrinking a little where she stood with her ears back. She was too scared to say anything, but her eyes said it all. Finally, Ken stepped in.

"That's enough, Ryo!" he shouted and grabbed the scaley wrist. "You're going to kill him! Stop! It's over!" Monodramon looked confused when his wrist was grabbed, looking up at Ken but only seeing a smear of indigo and peach. But, he conceded, getting up off of Penguinmon and stepping back.

"Penguiboo!" Kyaromon cried and hurried to Penguinmon's side. She nuzzled his face, listening to him moan her name softly. Blue eyes then glared at the dragon. "You didn't have to be such a meanie!"

Monodramon just sighed, starting to try and scrub off the ice crystals with his hands with minimal success. "Sorry," he huffed curtly.

"Shh..." Ken hushed him gently. "Here, let me help." Ken's smaller, slender human fingers were better made for picking the tiny ice crystals from Monodramon's eyes. When it seemed like he'd gotten all of them, he gave a gently wipe with his thumbs and nodded. "All right, blink them back open now."

Monodramon slowly blinked his eyes back open, sighing when his vision was finally clear. His eyes had turned a bit red and his eyelids stung, but he could see at least. "Thanks, Ken."

"What got into you?" Ken asked with a gentle, worried frown. Meanwhile, Kyaromon had helped Penguinmon to sit up. His left eyes was swollen shut and turning back. Kyaromon tried to lick the welt in hopes of soothing it. "You were beating the life out of him," Ken went on to say. "I've never seen you like that."

"I'm sorry," Monodramon repeated, reddened eyes looking down at his flat feet. "I... it must be the Digimon thing. It's messing with my head."

Ken nodded and gently stroked Monodramon's cheek with his knuckles. "It's all right."

"I don't wanna go with him!" cried Kyaromon. Whatever fancy she saw in Monodramon before, she clearly didn't care about it anymore.

Penguinmon lifted her tiny paw and kissed. "I am deeply sorry, my sweet, but that was the deal. He was won the duel for the grace of your heart. Clearly he is quite strong and well deserving."

"Noo! No! Noooooo!" she whined.

"Penguinmon," Monodramon piped up, stepping around Ken's legs. "Take her with you."

"But, our duel," Penguinmon said confusedly. "Mustn't we honor the code of the duel?"

"My ultimate goal is to see military activity on both sides of the war cease," Monodramon said with a shake of his head. "But you two care for each other, and I can tell that neither of you will be happy enough to comply with ceasing if I tear you apart." Monodramon nodded his head, seeming content with his decision. "You two should stay together. And so long as you both uphold your end of the bargain and stop, I won't come back for her." He smiled a bit at that, extending his hand towards Penguinmon. "Deal?"

"Perhaps you're more of a gentleman than I first gave you credit for," replied Penguinmon and extended his flipper in return. They both shook on it and smiled. "Well, my sweet," he said in turning back to Kyaromon, "shall we retire back to our cozy little ice palace?"

"Yeah, but like, what about all the Pafumon?" she asked worriedly. "I can't leave them..."

"I'm going to stay here to try and get the jump on those Virus Digimon you said have been attacking," Monodramon said. "Once we beat them, we're going to find the Trailmon that brought them in. The only station on File Island is in Primary Village, so we'll take them there with us."

Kyaromon smiled sincerely. "You're sweet," she said and kissed his cheek before running back to Penguinmon. Kyaromon then said goodbye to her Pafumon troops who had all gathered around to watch the fight. They were sad to see her go, but accepted the fact she needed to leave them. Finally, she and Penguinmon climbed onto the Garurumon's back in order to ride back to Freezeland.

Monodramon put a hand on his cheek when it was kissed, only to quickly retract it, the sting of one of Penguinmon's slaps suddenly jumping back to life when he touched it. Instead he let his hand drop to his side as the other started to wave at the couple's backs, Garurumon dashing off towards Freezeland. "Alright," Monodramon said, stretching his arms up over his head once they were out of sight. "That worked out well."

Ken waved also. Then he watched as the Pafumon went back to playing, eating, or sleeping, rather than actually dispersing. The boy realised then that this was probably their village grounds. "So, we're really going to stay, aren't we?" Ken asked hopefully.

"I wasn't lying," Monodramon said, looking up at Ken with a bit of a surprised expression. "We'll stay here until the Virus Digimon attack, and then we can surprise them and hop on the Trailmon they took here."

Indigo eyes looked around at all the baby Digimon again and then back at Monodramon. "How long do you suppose something like that will take?"

"I doubt it'll be too long," Monodramon said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Ken was quiet for a brief moment and then asked, "What do we do until then?"

"Relax," Mondramon said with a shrug. "Once we get on that Trailmon we're going to be going from fighting In-Trainings to fighting Digimon actually on our level. We're going to want to savor this break."

The boy nodded and sighed. "I'm starting to wish I'd brought a book or two with me. I know most of the stories by heart, but it's nice having something to do."

"Whenever I was bored in the Digital World, I'd teach myself a new skill, like how to make a fire, or practice something like climbing trees," Monodramon suggested, raising an informative claw.

"I can take a hint," Ken sighed again. He went to stand in front of a near by tree and tilted his head back to see the top. The branches weren't nearly as high up as the last tree he'd been forced to climb. So Ken wrapped his arms around the trunk and hoisted himself up with a grunt.

Monodramon came to stand at the foot of the tree, and Wormmon watched with a concerned look on his face from a distance. "Don't go too high," Monodramon called from the bottom as Ken reached the branches. "You want to be at comfortable dropping distance. Better to climb the bottom over and over than climb to the top once and get stuck!"

Ken scrambled up onto the branch and sat. Indigo eyes looked down, and while he was really probably only 10 or 11 feet off the ground, to Ken it felt like 20 feet. "Yeah, uh... I'm good!" he called back down.

"Then come back on down!" Monodramon called back, waving his hands.

"I'm... I'm enjoying the view!" Ken claimed from up on his perch.

Monodramon knitted his eyebrows together. "You're not even high enough to see over the trees!"

"Maybe I like looking at trees?" Monodramon rolled his eyes. He backed up a bit, then suddenly took a running leap at the tree, manging to dig hs nails in halfway up the trunk. He quickly climbed up in a formulated way that showed he was deciding what bits of bark to grab at a second before he moved for them. He reached Ken's branch in a matter of seconds, and passed him, climbing out onto the branch over him and then dropping down next to Ken, making the branch shake a little. "Eeeh! Be careful!" Ken cried as he clung to the trunk of the tree. "We'll break our necks!"

"We're no where near high enough up for that," Monodramon said with a smirk. "Are you sure you're okay up here?"

"I... I'm fine," Ken insisted with a nod. "Why? What makes you think I'm... I'm not?"

"Because," Monodramon insisted, as he put his hands between his legs and gripped the branch before he started to bounce his body up and down, making all the leaves rustle and shake.

The boy squeaked and tighter onto the tree. "Ryo... Stop..."

Monodramon stopped shaking the branch, and it quickly calmed back down to a more sturdy stability. "You didn't have to climb the tree if you didn't want to, Ken. It was just a suggestion."

"I thought... I thought you were saying that I should," Ken admitted. "So you wouldn't have to take care of me all the time."

Monodramon frowned gently. "That wasn't it at all. I was just putting an example out there of something you can try. There are all sorts of other things that you could teach yourself to do that don't involve heights."

"I know how to find food and make a shelter," Ken said. "I can treat wounds. I can hide. I can... I can... oh..."

"You can do a lot," Monodramon said with a small smile. "But there's always more to learn."

Ken was quiet, looking at his lap. "Like what?"

"You have to learn from the Digimon!" Monodramon said, suddenly getting to his feet and jumping, grabbing the branch above them and flipping back onto it. "If you just watch what they do, they'll teach you everything you need to know about surviving in the Digital World. Their instincts are the perfect teachers."

Ken then looked back down at the ground where he saw a mass of fluffly white all snuggled together and snoring softly. "Like sleeping close together?"

"That's a good one," Monodramon said, hanging upside-down from the branch next to Ken. "Especially when it's cold. Keeps you safe, too. Now, see, with them... From far away, they look like one huge Digimon. So they're less likely to get attacked."

"Digimon have the advantage of evolving and being built for their particular terrain though," Ken said.

"Sure, that's a limitation you and I have, but it's still a good way to learn," Monodramon returned with a small shrug. He flipped back down onto the lower branch sitting next to Ken again. "Don't worry about it. If you pay attention to the Digimon, eventually you'll pick it up."

Ken nodded. "I suppose so... Ryo, how far down is it?"

"Ten feet maybe?" Monodramon surmised. "Really not that far. If you shimmy down the trunk a bit you can drop down the last couple of feet."

"O-Okay..." Ken replied with a nod. He got himself back on the trunk, arms wrapped around and legs hugging humorously. Wiggling, Ken was able to make himself go down the tree, making it only about four feet before he lost his grip and fell on his butt. "Ow!"

Monodramon landed rather gracefully next to him, falling on his feet, arms outstretched so his wings softened the fall. "It was a good first try," he snickered, scratching at the back of his head. "I'd offer a hand to help you up, but..." He frowned upwards, touching the top of his head. "Too short."

"I think I just want to sit here a minute," Ken grimaced.

Wormmon was suddenly approaching, moving as quickly as his little feet would let him. "Ken!" he gasped when he finally got close, eyes wide with concern. "Ken, are you okay? You could have asked me to help you down!"

Ken looked at his Digimon. "I figure... I better learn how."

"Learn how? To climb a tree?" Wormmon asked, looking confused. "Why?"

"Why not?" Monodramon countered, sauntering past. "It's a skill that's helped me numerous times in the past."

Ken shrugged. "Maybe I'll need to one day. I don't know..."

"You can never know!" Monodramon agreed with a quick nod. "That's why it's best to learn!"

"Well, I suppose so..." Wormmon said with a small nod.

The pale boy rubbed his shoulder stiffly. "I think I'm tired..." he said, though sounding unsure. "Maybe I should just... Go to sleep for a while."

"I'll keep watch," Monodramon offered. "The fight got me all riled up. Maybe I'll see if there's any food around here."

Ken nodded. He moved closer to the pile of Pafumon. They were warm, cozy, and offered a strange comfort to the boy. Ken didn't know how long he was asleep when he heard the tiny terrified shrieks. He woke up to find the little Pafumon being terrorized by a gang of Dokunemon, being chased and attacked. "Wh-What's going on?" Ken cried, turning just in time to see a pale face with what looked like a purple hat grinning at him.

"Giggle Grenade!" The pale face turned out to be the body of a Mushroomon, the hat being his toadstool head. Giant pink golves held a number of smaller mushrooms that were thrown right at Ken. They burst into dust on contact, and when Ken breathed in toxic pollen, he fell back onto the ground in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

Wormmon awoke with a start, only to instantly breathe in the spores from the Mushroomon's grenades and start to laugh as well. It was Monodramon, who was keeping his post from a nearby tree, who finally stopped them. He leapt down with a cry of "Beat Knuckle!" and slammed his fist into the Mushroomon's soft head from above before knocking him to the ground.

A few other Mushroomon who'd come on the raid saw their companion fall. This purple dragon character was going to be a bit tougher than they'd expected coming in. Really, they had expected a Kyaromon, not a Monodramon at all. "Fungus Crusher!" one of them yelled and threw a more poisonous toadstool in Ryo's direction.

Monodramon whipped around, smacking it away expertly with his tail. He seemed a bit surprised with himself at his effective use of the appendage, and a confident smirk came to his face as he turned to face the Mushroomon and started to charge towards them, claws at the ready. "Beat Knuckle!"

Five Dokunemon suddenly appeared between Monodramon and Mushroomon. "Poison Powder!" they all hissed and opened their insectile beaks, releasing a toxic cloud into the open air.

Monodramon's instict was to gasp, but he pursed his lips shut and shielded his nose with one of his wings. He leapt over the Dokunemon, landing on top of one of them before continuing his charge on the Mushroomon, decking one of them clear across the face when he approached. Wormmon had managed to cough away most of the laughing gas, enough to shout, "Sticky Net!" The attack ensnared the Dokunemon before they could turn around and attempt to go after Monodramon.

"Worm Venom!" declared another Dokunemon. Apparently there were about seven of them in total. This one having abandoned his chase on the Pafumon since there was still one more to do that job. Its venom landed on the sticky webbing Wormmon had trapped his companions it, melting the threads away to set them free.

Wormmon's eyes went wide and he started to back up as the net gradually deteriorated. He opened his mouth to announce another attack, but Monodramon suddenly came careening into his view, running towards the free Dokunemon after having punched out all of the Mushroomon. "Cracking Bite!" he growled, suddenly grabbing the Dokunemon off the ground, body between his teeth. He had landed on his hands and knees in order to reach it with his mouth, and started to shake his head almost like a rabid dog, snarling as he did.

All six Dokunemon now came running to their commrade's aid. "Poison Claw!" they all shouted and began assaulting Monodramon with their venomous claws, striking his scales and even managing to tear through a few of them.

Monodramon dropped the one Dokunemon on the ground when he was suddenly swarmed with the others, letting out a cry of pain that forced him to open his mouth. He suddenly dropped onto the ground and rolled over, effectively crushing the ones that were on his back and leaving them in the dust. He then turned to one he could reach, on his shoulder, and with another "Cracking Bite!" had tore it off with his teeth and was shaking his head again, giving it much the same punishment and its fallen friend.

"Ryo! Ryo!" Between laughter and gasping, Ken had crawled closer to the fight. "Ryo, stop! You're... You're doing it again!" he cried, pointing to the Dokunemon that was now hanging limply in the dragon's jaws. It seemed to be dripping some strange purple substance before convulsing and then shattering into pixel dust. Monodramon seemed to snap back to his senses when the Dokunemon suddenly vanshied from his jaws. His eyes went wide and he suddenly scrambled to his feet, hastily forcing the Dokunemon on his other shoulder to get off with a few swift smacks. "M-Move, Ryo..." Ken said, weakly waving his hand. "Back away from them." Monodramon did as he was told, taking a few unsteady steps back. Suddenly, the poison was starting to get to him, and it showed by the way he swayed as he backpedaled. Ken watched with great concern in his eyes as Ryo stumbled. He then looked at the Dokunemon. "Why are you here?" he asked.

There was only one Dokunemon left uninjured, and he quickly flipped onto his feet again. "To take down the opposing side!" he hissed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why this village?" Ken asked, trying to be more specific. "These are Babies."

"Babies that will soon grow into dangerous enemies!" Dokunemon answered.

Ken frowned. "Where did you come from?"

"We came with our bretheren from Breezy Village," Dokunemon said, gesturing to the Mushroomon, who were out cold on the other side of the clearing.

Breezy Village, so... this was the enemy they had been waiting for. "Who sent you?"

"Our lead Mushroomon!" Dokunemon spat, obviously not content with answering questions, but his unseen eyes constantly jumping over to the purple dragon threat doing his best to keep standing a few feet away.

Ken glanced at Monodramon as well. He was getting worse quickly. "Cure him," the boy demanded.

"I poison, I don't cure," Dokunemon scoffed.

"Then tell me how."

"There is no way," Dokunemon said, turning his head up, his compliant nature completely changing once he was starting to feel stronger. "Invisibility!" he announced, before suddenly vanishing.

"No!" Ken shouted. He scrambled forward and tried to grab where the Dokunemon had been, but he hands found nothing. "No! Come back! Come back!" he cried. Desperation quickly set it at the thought of losing Ryo. Without thinking, Ken grabbed one of the weaker Dokunemon, fisted its antenna, and started to pull. "Tell me how!"

It cried out in pain, putting its little purple claws on top of his head. "He'll be fine, he'll be fine!" it squealed. Monodramon had started to stumble over towards Ken, eyes hazy, and placed a hand weakly on his shoulder.

"He's right, it's okay," he said with a shake of his head. "I'll be fine. We need to get to the terminal before... before the Trailmon leaves..."

Ken released the dark green Digimon before looking over his shoulder at Monodramon. "Can you even walk in your condition? Wormmon, can you evolve into Bullmon?"

Wormmon nodded his head quickly. He Digivolved into the steer and approached Monodramon, but the dragon shook his head and started to walk away. "No, no, I'm okay. I'm fine. I'm..." He didn't get far before he fell face-first into the dirt.

"Not at all fine," Ken concluded. It took a bit of work, but he managed to hoist Monodramon onto Bullmon's back, then climbing on himself. "Do you know how to get there, Bullmon?"

Bullmon nodded his head. "I remember." He looked over his shoulder to check on the baby Digimon, only to see them all in a line, waving and cheering thankfully. Though they'd promised to take them to Primary Village, the Pafumon seemed perfectly fine with staying there now that the danger had passed. He smiled behind his mask, and then took off, hooves beating loudly on the ground as he headed for the bridge. Ken looked down at Monodramon slung over Bullmon's back before him. His fingers carefully brushed the tears in the scales, noticing how most were already starting to heal over. At least Ryo had that going for him. Ken also hoped the ride on the Trailmon would take some time so Ryo could rest. Bullmon ran the entire way to the village, only slowing to a stop when they came to the plush quilted fields. The baby Digimon looked up at them curiously as they traversed the village, and on the other side was parked a large green and white train with a tinted window on its front, but no driver inside of it. "I guess this is it," Bullmon remarked.

Ken jumped down from Bullmon's back. "Just keep your form so you can hold Ryo until we get on the train," he instructed. Ken then approached the Trailmon, looking up into the tinted window. "Um... E-Excuse me?"

"Yes?" The very front of the train suddenly picked itself up off the track slightly and turned to face Ken. "Can I help you?"

"Oh my..." Ken gasped. "I-I'm sorry to bother you. My name is... is Ken Ichijouji. This is my Digimon, Bullmon, and our friend, Monodramon. I was w-wondering if you could give us a... well, a ride to Breezy Village?"

"A ride back?" he asked, confusion obvious in his voice. "I've never had anyone come back with me from Primary Village. Do you have tickets?"

"Oh... No..." Ken admitted, now looking upset. "We don't..."

"No tickets, no ride," the Trailmon said, setting himself back on the track. Bullmon came up onto the platform with a fretting look on his face, but suddenly a little Tokomon toddled over, with three slips of paper curled up in his ear.

"Excuse me, mister?" he said, tugging on Ken's pant leg with a tiny white paw.

Indigo eyes looked down at the little white Digimon. "Y-Yes?"

"My brothers and I just got off the train," he explained, pointing over to two Poyomon who were watching from down on the quilted ground. "We're not gonna be going back any time soon, so you can have our tickets."

"Really?" Ken blushed. "You'd give us your tickets?"

"Sure!" Tokomon said with a tiny smile. He pointed at the Trailmon and it turned into a smirk. "We know how much of a jerk Raccoon Dog can be about tickets."

"What did you say?" Racoon Dog snapped, looking over at them again.

"Nothing sir!" the Tokomon giggled, leaving the tickets in Ken's hands before he dashed off to join his brothers.

Ken watched the Tokomon hurry away before turning his attention back to the Trailmon. "We have tickets now," he said, holding them up.

"I can see that," Raccoon Dog said with a small laugh as he set himself back on the tracks. "Alright, all aboard," he announced, the doors in his sides opening up. Bullmon raised a brow and stepped inside. The inside looked like a real train, like the real world. It was like a train made for overnight trips, with plush green seats against the sides of the car, a fancy carpet, and nets above for baggage.

"It's really nice in here," Ken said. Then he got Monodramon down off Bullmon and sat with the dragon in his lap. When Bullmon was back to Wormmon, Ken pat the seat on the other side of him. "Thanks for getting us here."

"No problem, Ken. You know I like to help," Wormmon said as he crawled up onto the seat. He held on as the Trailmon suddenly jerked into motion, and they were soon pulling out of the station, with Primary Village vanishing on the horizon as they headed towards the edge of the island. Monodramon was still out cold, stretched limply over Ken's lap.

Ken smiled and pet down Wormmon's back. "I'm just glad you're able to help." As they rode along, Ken began to gently stroke the top of Monodramon's head. Two of his fingers would rub the soft bit of scales between the horn and gold ornament. Ken was worried about Ryo. These bouts of violence were getting worse, and he hated to think it would get worse with evolution.

The train continued to rumble along, and Wormmon caught sight of Ken's worried expression. "I'm worried too," he suddenly warbled in a quiet voice.

"I wish evolution wasn't the only way to fix him. I might lose him before we even get close."

Wormmon nodded his head in understanding. "Hopefully things will turn out okay. All we can do now is try and keep an eye on what he does..."

"He's small now," Ken said, "but he'll get bigger. I mean, just his next stage will be taller than me. Who knows how much stronger."

Wormmon nodded. "But, I can Digivolve on command now!" he said, trying to sound optimistic. "And maybe I'll even get to go to the next stage too, if we can find a tag for you! And then we might be able to control him, just like he controlled Cyberdramon."

Ken sighed, now looking sad. "I don't want to have to control him, Wormmon. I know we might not have a choice, but... I never really had it in me. Not... Not without being abusive."

Wormmon's antenna drooped. "I'm sorry, Ken."

The boy shook his head. "No... No, it's all right. We'll find a way, right, Wormmon?"

"Right," Wormmon said with a determined nod.


	16. Strike Back

The ride was taking much longer than Ken thought it would. Soon enough the sun was setting, filling the train car with its warm orange glow. He wondered if they would arrive at all tonight. When the sun began to make his eyes blink with tears, Ken turned his sights back on Monodramon, whom he was now petting along the cheek and soft spikes.

Wormmon had curled up by Ken's side and fallen asleep by then. Monodramon groaned slightly, squeezing his eyes shut before they finally fluttered open a little. "Ken?" he asked in a husk of a voice. "What happened?"

"Shh..." Ken hushed the dragon gently. "The poison really took a toll on you. You've been out for a few hours." He continued to gently stroke along the purple cheek spikes. "I got us a ride on the Trailmon. He'll take us to Breezy Village."

Monodramon blinked his eyes a few times, trying to get his vision unblurred. "Oh..." He smiled slightly, laughing as he looked at the green apolstery. "Raccoon Dog, right? Did he give you a hard time about... tickets?"

"At first he wouldn't let us on," Ken said with a nod. "But a little Tokomon gave us his."

Monodramon laughed, nodding his head weakly. "Yup, that's Raccoon Dog. He has reason to be like that, though, seeing as he usually transports baby Digimon..."

Ken nodded again. "I understand. I was just worried. I didn't know how else we would get there if we couldn't ride. The sun is setting now."

"Yeah, the Continent of Flame is a while away... we should arrive some time in the middle of the night, and be in Breezy Village by morning," Monodramon murmured, curling up again in Ken's lap. "We'll need to go through the Flame Terminal... but it's before the Forest Terminal..." He was murmuring to himself, even though he knew Ken wouldn't know what that really meant. He was simply taking comfort in the fact that his voice was working.

Ken continued to pet Monodramon gently, stroking his cheek, his head, his snout, his shoulder... "Ryo?"

"Mhm?" Monodramon murmured, face practically hidden in Ken's stomach.

"What does it feel like... When you fight?"

"There's a lot of adrenaline pumping through me," he said. "All of my nerves go on high alert and I can practically feel how much energy I have to spare every time I use an attack, and how much of it I'm losing every time I get hit. But eventually, it all starts to... blur together."

"Is that why... You get so violent?"

"I'd guess so," Monodramon said. "This must be what Cyberdramon feels. When you beat something that could potentially hurt you... it feels so amazing to be free of the threat. You just want to keep going."

"I see..." Ken fell quiet again after that. He just took to looking out the window, watching the sky turn from red to purple.

"But... that's understandable, right?" Monodramon whispered. "To want to get rid of something that could hurt you?"

"Of course," Ken replied quietly, gently. He took to rubbing the soft spot on Monodramon's forehead again. "It's only natural to want protect ourselves. There's nothing wrong with it. But Ryo, once you knocked the attacker out, you don't have to pull out the gun and shoot him too, all right?"

"It just becomes a blur, Ken," Monodramon murmured, shaking his head. "I don't mean to."

Ken felt Monodramon burrow closer into his stomach, almost like a babe nuzzling for comfort. "Shh... Shhh... It's all right, Ryo. I understand. It's all right." The boy leaned forward to press his lips against a purple temple. "Just... don't ever lose the sound of my voice, okay?"

"Mhm..." Monodramon's voice was slowly drifting off, sleep threatening to take him again. "I... won't."

"Good morning!"

When they got off of the train in Breezy Village, they found themselves inside a station carved out of a giant tree. Raccoon Dog had cheered their morning greeting as he opened his doors. Monodramon seemed to recognize the layout of the place as he stepped confidently out onto the wooden platform, thankfully much more steady after his long nap and looking like he hadn't even been poisoned at all. "The Floramon live at the base of the tree," he explained. "But they're very peaceful. If we want to find the Mushroomon running this show, I'm going to guess that our best bet is going up."

"There must be stairs in this place," Ken said wearily.

"Luckily for you, there are," Monodramon laughed. "At least for about half of the way up. No one goes much higher than that usually, but we never know where he could be hiding." He pointed towards an area of the station, running over towards it and beckoning Wormmon and Ken to follow. It was a stairwell, carved completely out of wood, that spiraled all the way up the inside of the gigantic tree. "Ready?"

"Oh Lord..." Ken sighed. "I should have asked if there was an elevator." With a reluctant nod he followed Monodramon up the stairs. Each new level yeilded no results, sending them on their way. At one point Ken looked over his shoulder to see Wormmon ten or eleven steps behind them. The boy turned around, went to pick up his Digimon, and then hurried to catch up with Monodramon. "With my luck, he's got a base at the bottom of this tree," he said.

"I could always try and fly us up..." Wormmon offered. "You know, as Quetzalmon or something."

"This is good for our legs!" Monodramon laughed, looking over his shoulder. "Besides, we need you at full strength in case Mushroomon isn't keen on cooperating."

"I suppose so," Wormmon warbled, sighing as he looked up at Ken. He could see the effort straining his face while Monodramon was practically sprinting up the steps.

Ken smiled down at his Digimon. "The way Quetzalmon flies, this tree would be too confining," he said.

"I guess that's true, too," Wormmon said, blushing a bit embarrassedly.

After what seemed like forever, the trio walked in front of an opening to another branch balcony. At first they were going to ignore it, but then a loud voice exclaimed. "Hey, hey! Whoa, whoa! What's goin on here? Who're you schmucks?" Ken stopped and peered outside. There he saw a Mushroomon that looked a little bigger than the others. He was wearing a spiked dog collar as a belt and what Ken could only assume was a silver hoop earing on the lip of his toadstool hat.

Monodramon paused and poked his head out of the door. He hadn't recognized any of the Mushroomon that had attacked them in Tropical Jungle as the ones that actually lived in Breezy Village, and this guy certainly wasn't one of them either. "I should be asking you that question!" he answered as he stepped out onto the branch.

"Hey, hey! You watch your mouth there, pal!" said Mushroomon, sounding like bad boy from Grease. "If you happen ta be askin' then I'm the ranking Captain around here, comprende? Or you got too much stuff goin on between yer ears there, huh?"

Monodramon just scowled, quite honestly having a bit of trouble understanding the Mushroomon's weird dialect. "I'm going to assume you're not one of the Mushroomon that lived in the village."

"Hey, yo, look here, pally. I go where tha big guy sends me, ya know?" Mushroomon raised his gloved hands in a shrug. "We got troops that need eatin supllies and I'm the one gonna give it to em. We ain't growin those gardens down there for fun, ey?"

Ken frowned. "But... those gardens belong to the Floramon," he insisted.

"Do I hear a whiner ova here? Was that yous? Was that yous? Couldn't have been, cause I know you ain't ova here tellin me what I can and can't do. So why don you fat cats just cheese it outta here, huh?"

"You are the one that is going to be... er... cheesing!" Monodramon proclaimed, pointing at the Mushroomon, even though he sounded a bit unsure of what he was saying. "We're shutting down these military operations!"

Mushroomon raised his hands. "Whoa, whoa! You gonna come in here, onta my turf, and shut me down? You gotta lotta moxy, pal, I'll give ya that, but brains you seem to be a little short on."

Monodramon opened his mouth to say something, finger still hovering bravely in the air, but he looked over his shoulder at Ken and just mouthed 'I have no clue what he's saying.' "Say yes!" Wormmon hissed back.

"Yes, that's what I'm doing!" Monodramon said as he whipped back around to face Mushroomon.

"Oh yeah? Well then..." Mushroomon punched his fist into the opposite palm. "Looks like we got ourselves a match between moxy and chops."

"Sure!" Monodramon said, getting into a fighting pose. "Beat Knuckle!" he proclaimed, running at the Mushroomon.

"Fungus Crusher!" Mushroomon hadn't even tried to move, just standing his ground and throwing his toadstool bombs at the charging dragon.

Monodramon dodged them expertly, glancing a few off with his wings. "Raaaahh!" he roared, taking a leap as he brought his claws down on Mushroomon's head.

A few of the toadstools hit the branch they were standing on and burst, forcing Ken to cover his mouth and back away. Mushroomon watched with wide eyes as a piece of his purple and yellow-ringed hat thumped to the ground. With the earring attached to it. "A tough guy, eh?" he sneered and flicked his thumb against his absent nose. "Hows about one o' these?" Which he followed up with a good old fashioned punch with his big pink glove. Monodramon sputtered, reeling when he got the sudden unexpected punch. He quickly shook his head free of the shock and balled his hands into fists of his own, returning Mushroomon's blow. Mushroomon stumbled back, recovered and punched both fists together. "Oh, wise guy, eh? I see. I see. Well maybe I gotta little somethin for ya," he said, forming the poisonous toadstools in his hand.

"Wormmon," Ken said the Digimon's name and gestured that he join the fight.

"Sticky Net!" Wormmon shot an impressively well-aimed thread, catching Mushroomon's hand inside of it all the way from across the branch. Monodramon grinned and took this as his chance to quickly get in a few more punches.

Mushroomon completely fell back this time. For a moment it seemed like he was out cold, but then he jumped back onto his feet. "I've about had it with yous!" he shouted. "You all come onta my turf bustin my chops! You ain't got moxy! Just a bunch of hot air! You think I ain't got the chops to take you down, huh? I'll show you chops!" Mushroomon was suddenly engulfed in a white light. His shape grew taller and more jagged looking. When the light faded, he looked more like worn old splintered tree with blue eyes. His smaller set of arms were clenched into fists while the much larger set were raised in the air. "Woodmon!" he declared.

Wormmon and Monodramon's mouths both fell open in surprise when the Mushroomon suddenly Digivolved. Neither of them seemed to be expecting it. "I need to get in there!" Wormmon said, quickly looking towards Ken with wide eyes. "Pick a DigiEgg, quickly!" Monodramon however, not one to be deterred, leapt back into battle.

"Cracking Bite!" he roared, sinking his teeth into one of Woodmon's smaller arms with the distinctive sound of crackling accompanying the attack as he did his best to chomp down with all of his might on the woody appendage.

Woodmon hardly seemed to care about his arm splintering even further. Instead he just laughed and brought his large arm down in a mighty swoop, bashing it against Ryo. Meanwhile, Ken was frantically flipping through the eggs. He didn't know which one to pick! Finally, but not very logically, he closed his eyes and hit a button. The D-Terminal began to beep, flashing with the symbol of Sincerity on its screen. "Digimental Up!"

"Wormmon Armor Digivolve to..." Wormmon leapt down onto the branch as he began to glow. "Nohemon!" When the light faded, a scarecrow-like Digimon was revealed, with a face only drawn on in marker, a bow and a quiver slung over his shoulder, and a stuffed blue crow perched on his arm. When he spoke, it was the crow who squawked. Monodramon had fallen on his back, dangerously close to the edge of the branch, but simply leapt up again and took another run at Woodmon. "Beat Knuckle!" he roared, throwing his paw forward, but only managing to get his claws stuck in the larger Digimon's bark.

"William's Arrow!" Nohemon proclaimed, drawing back his bow and letting an arrow fly. Unfortunately, it just lodged itself in Woodmon's side, just like Monodramon's claws.

Woodmon just laughed again. One of the smaller arms was used to pull the arrow out and broke it in his fist. And again one of his larger arms swung down to smash Monodramon's body against his own trunk. "Branch Drill!" he cackled and extended the other large arm, aiming right at Nohemon. Ken watched, feeling helpless, as Nohemon was grabbed over the face and suddenly all his energy was being sucked away.

"Delusion Crow!" the crow on his wrist sqawked. It cawed and laughed as its only defense to try and ward off the foe, but it didn't seem that Woodmon was going to be put off by that tactic. Monodramon let out a cry of pain every time he was slammed against the wood, sometimes against Woodmon's body and then plowed into the actual branch they stood upon.

Ken gasped when Nohemon was suddenly devolved back into Wormmon. The small Digimon fell to the ground with a thud, obviously drained. Ken ran forward, falling on his knees to protect his partner. "Give me something! Anything!" he said the Digivice and D-Terminal he was holding in each hand. Nothing was happening. Both screens were black looking back at him. "Help me!" Ken demanded and shook both devices. Suddenly the Digivice beeped. Ken looked to see the emblem of Kindness glowing on the screen in a strange red color.

Something was happening, but before he could inspect further, there came a bellow of "Woody Smash!" Ken screamed, leaning over Wormmon and covering his head, waiting for the blow.

"Strike Claw!" The blow never came down upon Ken, interrupted by a deep, growling voice. When he and Wormmon opened their eyes, they saw Woodmon's huge arm frozen in place by three claws that had dug themselves into his bark. They belonged to a huge humanoid Digimon, very muscular and definately far beyond six feet tall. His torso was almost human-like except for the deep purple and white scales on it, and he even wore green pants with leather belts holding them in place. But his huge, three-clawed feet and hands, both armored in steel, spoke of a more dragon-like look, as did his steel-tipped tail, which thrashed about wildly behind him, and his long snout with rows of exposed, pointed white teeth. There was a red tattoo on his muscular chest and he had black hair that grew long, with orange tips that ended on his lower back and brushed his shoulders, sprouting out from underneath a helmet which covered his eyes and nose and a huge horn.

Ken gasped softly at the sight of the new Digimon. "Strikedramon..." he breathed.

"You wanna dance, tough guy?" Woodmon taunted. Strikedramon just roared, lifting his arm higher with surprising ease and flipping Woodmon over onto his back, twisting his arm like he was cardboard. A horrible screech sounded from Woodmon as he was flipped. Worse yet was the way Strikedramon continued to bend his arm. It creaked loudly until snapping all together, drawing another horrific screech.

"Strike Fang!" Strikedramon threw away the snapped off arm before his entire body burst into flame. He then grabbed Woodmon's other arm, holding it tightly as the flames spread.

Woodmon thrashed and shrieked the most inhuman, other worldy shriek. Ken had clenched his eyes shut and thrust his hands over his ears. "Make it stop!" the boy cried. "Just end it! Make it stop!" Strikedramon looked over his shoulder at Ken, though it was hard to tell his expression, not only because of the flames but because of most of his face was covered by his helmet. He then slowly turned back to Woodmon, and with a simple grunt, he'd tossed the Digimon off of the branch, sending him hurdling down towards the ground. He stood over the side of the branch, watching to ensure that his opponent pixelated into dust when he hit the ground far, far below. Upon seeing it, he gave a satisfied flick of his tail and the flames went out. When silence reigned, Ken drew his hands away. He was shaking a little and his breathing was a little heavy, but nothing he couldn't get back under control. "I suppose... It's good news that you evolved," Ken said. The boy helped to pick Wormmon up and set him down properly on his little feet. "One step closer, right?" Strikedramon didn't answer. He turned around and walked over to them, completely silent, a few embers left on his body crackling weakly until they were pushed off by the wind. His tail waved back and forth slowly as he presumably looked over them, though it was hard to tell. Suddenly, he lifted up his foot and tried to bring it down on Wormmon. "No!" Ken screamed and snatched Wormmon up at the last second. "Ryo, what is wrong with you?"

Wormmon held onto Ken's chest, and Strikedramon just snorted. He started to pace on the tree branch, going back and forth. "Something's very wrong," Wormmon warbled, his antenna drooping. "Does your D-Terminal have a Digimon Analyser, Ken?"

"I-I think so..." Ken pulled out his D-Terminal and flipped it open. He was able to select the needed application quickly, and then he held the device up so it could get a proper reading. "Please don't tell me he's gone savage..."

After a moment, a screen came up with Strikedramon's stats. It showed a picture of the Digimon and a few things about him, along with a small description at the bottom. "Champion level Dragon Man Digimon," Wormmon read. "Type: Vaccine. Family: Nature Spirits... Digivolves from Monodramon... to Cyberdramon... Here! Strikedramon is a 'Commando Dragon' who aims to be a Virus Buster. His equipment are metal plates that transform him into Commando Mode. He's a light-hearted Digimon, but when he discovers a Virus-type he fights until he changes his enemy into dust..." His voice sort of trailed off there. "Oh..."

Ken swallowed. "But... But, Ryo is still in there. He knows not to hurt you. We just have to..." Experimentally, Ken placed Wormmon back down on the tree branch. He drew back, but was ready in an instant to grab his Digimon if he needed. Indigo eyes watched the dragon carefully now. Strikedramon turned around from another pace, and upon spotting Wormmon on the ground, he suddenly got down on all fours and started to charge at him. Wormmon's eyes went wide and his antenna stood straight up, and he leapt up onto Ken's leg and kept climbing until he was on his shoulder, making Strikedramon skid to a sudden stop. "You're really going to make me do this..." Ken felt like throwing up as he reached for his Digivice. He knew now what it had been trying to tell him, trying to offer him. He didn't want to take it. Ken never wanted to resort to that life ever again, but Ryo wasn't giving him a choice. Holding the small port against his palm, Ken felt a tiny prick in his skin followed by a tingling sensation. Next, Ken snapped his fingers, making a whip appear in his hand. Taking a deep breath, Ken snapped the whip, causing the end to strike the wood right in front of the dragon's face.

Wormmon's eyes widened even more when he suddenly saw the whip materialize in his partner's hand. "W-wait, Ken..." he started weakly, not sure about the plan. Strikedramon leapt back when the whip snapped right in front of his face, and then he started to snarl again, tail making a loud clunking noise as the steel tip hit the wood.

"What choice do we have, Wormmon?" Ken asked. Knowing he couldn't afford to ignore Strikedramon for long, his attention was immediatley back on the feral Digimon. "Silence," he commanded firmly, like Ryo would to Cyberdramon, and cracked the whip again against the branch.

"I guess none..." This time, Strikedramon seemed to get the hint and fell quiet. And after a few more moments, he got up onto two legs again and did not attempt to advance.

Once more, Ken took Wormmon and put him on the ground. "Do not attack," he told Strikedramon. The boy took a few steps back this time, leaving Wormmon unguarded. Ken knew the little insect hated this, but it was the only way. Strikedramon leaned down a bit, nostrils flaring behind his steel helmet. He growled a bit, making Wormmon flinch, but did nothing more than that. Deep down, the threatening behavior struck a chord with Ken. The fact that Strikedramon didn't advance seemed to have no bearing on his feelings. He'd given an order and it was not fully obeyed. Suddenly, the whip cracked and wrapped a considerable amount around the dragon's snout, clamping his growling jaws shut. "You listen to be you doltish primoridal beast!" Ken spat. "I don't care what you feel your mission or duty or whatever you want to call it is! Wormmon is off limits. You will not attack, advance on, or threaten him in any way, shape, or form." He gave the whip a sharp tug for good measure. "Understand?"

Strikedramon's tail thrashed about in surprise when the whip snared him, and a small whine emerged from his throat when his head was tugged in an uncomfortable way. "Ken..." Wormmon breathed, grateful for the rescue but unable to believe the words coming out of his partner's mouth.

"Are you mute or just dumb?" Ken hissed. With a snap of his wrist, the whip came undone from Strikedramon's snout. "I asked you a question. Now answer me!"

Strikedramon opened his mouth when the whip relinquished it, a long, snake-like tongue wetting his lips. He then turned to face Ken, and the anger in his voice was almost palpable as he said, "I understand." The worst part was his voice almost sounded like Ryo's, though gruffer.

Ken readied the whip. "Are you taking a tone with me?" he hissed, eyes narrowed.

Strikedramon's tail trashed about for a moment, his hidden eyes focused on the whip. "No," he finally answered, the edge removed.

"Good, because the one thing I will not tolerate is an attitude from scum like you!" Ken spat. "So I would suggest you learn to speak properly around me, or we might have some problems." Just for good measure, Ken cracked the whip, striking mere inches from the dragon's cheek.

Strikedramon flinched, then became still as a statue. Tension hung thick in the air for a moment before he started to walk, heading for the staircase and passing Wormmon without a second glance. The little Digimon looked between the two with still wide, confused eyes. "Ken?"

Ken's own eyes had gone from dangerous and narrow to frightened and full of tears. He looked down at Wormmon, breath trembling. "Help..." the boy breathed. Ken's fist clenched around the whip, knuckles turning white, hand shaking terribly. Physically unable to release. "Help me..."

"Ken!" Wormmon didn't know what to do. He frantically tried to figure out what he was supposed to do as Strikedramon paused before the stairs, turning back to see what was happening. Ken was bent over slightly, one hand pressed against the side of his face as he fought, the other obviously occupied with the whip. Ken could feel the burn on the back of his neck as the scar jumped to life with throbbing. Wormmon fumbled with what to do, grabbing the whip in two tiny claws and trying to force his boy to let go of it. Strikedramon continued to watch, expression impossible to read.

"Ryo!" Ken suddenly cried. "Ryo, please help me! My head... My head h-aahn!" Strikedramon slowly approached. Wormmon looked up at him, unsure of what the large dragon man was going to do, still holding the whip with two small claws. Strikedramon reached down towards him, and Wormmon braced himself to be grabbed, only to open his eyes to see Strikedramon rather carefully and gently prying Ken's fingers away one by one. Ken's hand continued to shake. That tiny part of him wanted to curl back aroung the grip, but he fought. He wanted it gone. While he hated to be crying in front of Strikedramon like this, Ken couldn't help it. The tears started to call as the Digimon worked to help him. Finally, Strikedramon got the whip away from Ken. But as soon as he held it in his own hands, it pixelated away into a light that went back into Ken's black Digivice. He stared as Wormmon tried to comfort Ken, and then looked about the tree branch. Without another word, the huge dragon man picked Ken up, Wormmon barely grabbing his leg at the last second, and he headed back for the stairs. Ken sniffled and whimpered softly as he tried to get his crying to stop. Drawing out the whip was the last thing he ever wanted to do, but he really didn't have a choice. Using that whip had awoken feelings and voices inside him. Voices and feelings he never wanted to hear again. "I'm sorry," the boy said.

"I'm sorry too," Strikedramon said in that lowered, growling version of Ryo's voice again. "This is going to be hard for all of us."

"I shouldn't have struck you," Ken insisted. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. They were mean."

"You're going to have to, Ken," Strikedramon said quietly as he carefully went down the stairs. "It's what makes this body calm down."

"Ryo... I don't think I can. You don't know what it was like." Ken turned his face into Strikedramon's chest. "I was turning into him so quickly. So easily. I was scared."

"I don't know what to tell you, Ken," Strikedramon sighed.

"Cyberdramon can fly, right?" Ken asked. "Maybe I should jump off a cliff and force you to evolve in order to save me." The boy tried to follow this up with a laugh.

"Ken!" Wormmon gasped, eyes going wide as he quite obviously missed the joke.

Strikedramon tried to laugh as well, though it sounded a bit more like a gutteral purr. "Not your best idea, Ken."

Ken glanced up and smiled slightly. "Hey, I... I like that sound..."

"Hm?" Strikedramon murmured, tilting his maw down in a way that showed that he was looking down at Ken. "What sound, my laugh? It sounds a bit weird, if you ask me..."

"I don't think it did," Ken replied with the smile still on his face. The strange laugh slipped through Strikedramon's lips again, and Wormmon dared to crawl up into Ken's lap as they started to get closer to the ground floor. It seemed Strikedramon was calm enough now that he wouldn't attack. Ken sighed. "I'm willing to keep you under control, just... Promise you'll keep the Kaiser at bay."

"I'll try my best, Ken," Strikedramon said quietly as they stepped out onto the Breezy Village train platform. "Are you hungry?" he asked as he put the boy down on his feet.

Ken caught his Digimon before the little worm could fall too far from his lap. "I am, actually..." the boy admitted.

"The Floramon living at the base of the tree are very hospitable towards tourists and will probably give us a free meal," Strikedramon said, flicking his tail as he started to head towards the tangle of roots that led to the bottom of the tree. "Follow me." Ken nodded quietly and followed after the large Digimon. Walking gave the boy time to think. If battling with Virus Digimon set Strikedramon off, then Ken was going to have his hands full. The more often the dragon man lost control, the closer Ken would get to losing himself, and losing Ryo. It was a painful and frightening thought he didn't want to indulge.

Wormmon could see the concern in Ken's eyes, but chose not to say anything. Strikedramon seemed to be back to normal and it would do them best to just have a meal and think things over. Strikedramon quite easily leapt down the roots and stopped to help Ken down the larger drops until they finally reached the ground. There, amongst the tangles of the roots and beneath the lowest canopy of leaves, was a whole village of houses built around the roots of the tree to stay within its shade. Each house had a lush garden growing in front of it, each tended to perfectly. There were a small group of Floramon, plant-like Digimon with petal manes, flowers for hands, and roots for feet, talking over one of the gardens, who suddenly looked up when the three of them entered the shaded area of the village. They seemed wary at first, most likely because of Strikedramon's huge size, which made him have to stoop over a little, but they quickly brightened up and approached. "Welcome to our village, travelers!" they recited in unison.

The pale boy smiled kindly and bowed to the group of Floramon. "Thank you, very much. Um... You might be glad to know that you are all free now."

Their eyes widened, and they exchanged looks before looking up at Ken, clearly disbelieving. "Are you saying you got rid of those foreign Mushroomon?"

"Well... I mean, we got rid of the Mushroomon living at the top of this tree," Ken said and gestured upward.

The Floramon cheered, and their loud voices seemed to rouse the rest of the village, as more Floramon and even Mushroomon started to peek their heads out of the doors of the home. "They got rid of our unwanted neighbors!" one of the Floramon clarified, which made a few of the village's other residents emerge to give their thanks.

"Thank you so much!" The first Floramon continued as she spun back around.

"Don't mention it," Strikedramon responded, waving his three-fingered hand.

"Hey... your voice sounds sort've familiar," the third Floramon suddenly said, peering up at him as she put her petal fingers upon her chin.

Ken looked up at Strikedramon and then back at the Floramon. "This is the Legendary Tamer. We've just run into a bit of a problem."

Strikedramon opened his mouth to say something, but Ken effectively cut him off. The Floramon exchanged looks. "Legendary Tamer?" they murmured at each other, before all three of them gasped in unison. "It's Ryo!" This squeal was even louder than the last one and their words, instead of drawing out a few grateful residents, made all of the doors in the village explode open as every Floramon living there rushed out into the square. A group of them grabbed Strikedramon by his hand while another group waved for Ken to follow, leading them to the largest house at the back of the village. "Please, come inside!" the Floramon insisted as a group of them rushed inside the house to prepare as quickly as they could.

"It's been so long!"

"How have you been?"

"What happened?"

"Who's your friend?" The place was soon a buzzing of high-pitched voices as plant Digimon running about, trying to get situated. They were let into the house and quickly sat at a wooden table with small wooden chairs, a seat that Strikedramon looked way too big for. A gaggle of Floramon pulled the chair out for him, but he politely declined and chose to kneel instead, which still brought him up to proper height at the table.

They sat Ken opposite him and he laughed quietly. "See what I mean?"

Ken looked a bit flustered and confused by all the excitement. He wasn't expecting all the hustle and bustle they seemed to deem necessary for Ryo's visit. Hurrying along after them, he graciously took the seat offered and smiled. "They certainly are hospitable."

"You wouldn't think it, but the Digital World has its tourist spots too, and this is one of them," Strikedramon said, tail waving. Two Floramon approached the table with big smiles on their faces, and placed down three wooden bowls filled with a yellow-colored soup.

"Enjoy!" they said in unison.

"Thank you," Strikedramon answered, bowing his head, and they both giggled and ran off. Wormmon got up onto the table in order to eat his, and fumbled with the spoon a bit before managing to get a spoonful to his mouth.

"This soup tastes like fruit," he observed with a confused expression. "Do you usually put fruit in soup?" he asked Ken.

"Not that I'm aware of," Ken replied. "There are flower Digimon, though. Maybe they have a fruit and nectar diet special to them."

"It's kind of a weird recipe, but it's good," Strikedramon assured them. Unable to work his spoon thanks to his huge claws, he simply lifted his bowl to his lips and drained the bowl. When one of the Floramon noticed that his bowl was empty, she came over with two yellow fruits that sort of looked like pears in her hands. The red petals on the top of her head stood up to reveal a space, and she dropped them in. Her head closed up again and she danced and shook her head, before grabbing Strikedramon's bowl and pouring a refill of the soup from her nose. Wormmon's eyes were wide, but Strikedramon just bowed and accepted the bowl back from her thankfully. Ken blinked quite a number of times as he watched this. Indigo eyes looked down into his bowl. Honestly, he was looking for boogers. Did Digimon have boogers? Hell, if they used the bathroom, they probably had boogers and earwax too. Ken suddenly realized he'd been staring for longer than he'd meant. He was also pretty sure there was an offensive look on his face. In the end, Ken decided that if Ryo could drink the soup without problems, then he should too. So Ken continued to eat one spoonful at a time.

Wormmon looked a bit shocked when Ken continued to eat the soup, but his stomach growled and Strikedramon gave him a look, one that probably told him that they'd need to take what they could get to keep their strength up. But it was hard to tell with that fully metal-plated face of his. Regardless, though with a slightly reluctant thought, Wormmon continued his meal as well, until he'd finished most of what was in the bowl. The Floramon started to make about serving for Wormmon, but Ken put his hand up. "You don't need to do that," he insisted politely. "Wormmon really doesn't eat much. Usually a banana alone can hold him over for a few days."

Wormmon laughed, waving his claws and nodding. "It's true! I'm very full from just one, thank you."

Strikedramon just laughed gently as he quite easily drained his second bowl in another gulp. "So, Ken, where should we head next?"

Ken's face fell. "Oh no... Y-You killed Woodmon before we could ask him!"

Strikedramon's face fell too. "Great..." He leaned forward, tapping a claw on his chin. "Well... we could... hop on a Trailmon and go ask Shamanmon, I guess."

"We don't have to leave the Continent, do we?" Ken asked. "It was hard enough getting on the first time."

"No, he lives here. I've only talked to him once, but he claims to be able to tell the future. He's cryptic, but it's better than nothing."

Ken hummed nervously. "I suppose it will have to do. How long will this detour take us?"

"Another day, maybe," Strikedramon said. "Are you really that eager to get back into the fray?"

"I'm eager to get you back to normal as soon as possible before anything can go wrong," the boy clarified.

"I see," Strikedramon murmured, nodding his head. With that, he stood, having to duck his head a little inside the Floramon's small house. "Thank you all for your hospitality," he said to the congregated Floramon.

"You're not leaving already, are you?" they chorused in a dissapointed tone.

Ken felt bad, but he also felt like moving on was more important. "We have to put an end to this war," he insisted. "I wish we could stay longer, but every day we sit around doing nothing, the worse things get. We'll come back, though, when everything is back to normal."

"Please make sure you do!" The Floramon said as they opened the door for them. "We'd love to see you again!"

"Thank you," Strikedramon said, bowing his head one last time as he ducked out of the doorway.

Ken waved to the Floramon as they departed. "We have to get back inside the tree, don't we?"

"Yup, back up to the platform to wait for a Trailmon," Strikedramon said with a nod.

The boy sighed. "I thought as much..." Ken approached one of the roots. It was very broad and thick. He could barely get his arms around it. Ken tried to get a grip and hoist himself up, but he ended up just doing a bunch of scrambling and slipping.

Wormmon at once climbed up onto Ken's shoulder and opened his mouth to offer to evolve and help him up. But Strikedramon took the cue and scooped the both of them up, before quickly leaping up from one root to the next until they were up on the platform again. "There we go," he laughed as he placed them down on one of the many wooden benches sitting on either side of the indent where the tracks were laid. "Now we just need to wait for a Trailmon to come through."

"I'm sorry, Ryo. I should have stopped you sooner," Ken sighed. "If I had asked Woodmon where the next officer was, we wouldn't be having to go around like this."

"He probably wouldn't have told you," Strikedramon said as he came to sit on the ground next to the bench, once again effectively putting himself on the same level as Ken despite it. "And even if he did, you might not have understood him anyway," he added with a small laugh.

"I suppose not..." Ken glanced at Strikedramon and then actually turned his head. "We're so close," he murmured and touched the metal mask with his fingers.

"Two more Digivolutions," Strikedramon agreed, leaning into the touch slightly. "They'll be harder than the first two."

Ken hummed as he continued to touch the metal gently. "I've noticed, though..."

"Noticed what?" Strikedramon asked, turning his face up to look at Ken.

"I said it as a joke before, but you really do seem to evolve when my life is in danger," Ken said. His fingers caressed the curve of the hemlet while his other hand came to gently cup the dragon man's bottom jaw. "Am I right or am I wrong?"

"Well... yes, I suppose that's true," Strikedramon said, nodding his head. "It's almost like you have two partners now," he said with a small laugh.

Ken didn't laugh like Strikedramon was probably expecting. "Is that really the reason? A partner bond?"

Strikedramon looked a bit caught off-guard. "Well, I don't... I don't know."

"You don't know." Ken sighed, granting one last caress to the Digimon's jaw before turning back and putting his hands in his lap. "I... I suppose that's fair."

There was a long moment of silence between them, before Strikedramon suddenly put his head into Ken's lap, burrowing his head under his hands until they rested on top of his helmet again. "I'm sorry, Ken," he said quietly.

Ken shook his head. "No, it's all right. I'm expecting too much. It... It's not the right time." One hand rested on Strikedramon's muzzle while the other stroked the metal, continuing on into his hair, and then back up to the front to do it again. A calmer version of the gutteral purr that was usually Strikedramon's laughter emerged from his lips when he was pet. Eventually, his waving, steel-tipped tail tucked under the bench, and the noise drifted off as the large Digimon seemed to fall asleep. It was hard to tell without seeing any eyes close, but with the purr falling quiet and his breathing becoming slow and even, it was easy enough to tell.


	17. Forest of Static

A/N: There's a bit of German in this chapter, but don't worry, they're not talking about anything you guys don't already know. And neither me nor my co-author speak German, so excuse us if it's a bit off.

The Trailmon eventually showed up. Luckily Ken didn't have to bargain for a ride since they were already on the continent. He would have liked to been able to carry Strikedramon onto the train like he had for Monodramon, but the Digimon was just too big. "Ryo..." Ken's voice called softly. "Ryo, wake up. Our ride is here."

Strikedramon groaned as he woke himself up, pulling his head up and shaking it. He looked over at the tracks, surprised to see a large, bright blue Trailmon with one orange eye sitting there. It was starting to get a bit dark, but the Trailmon had a light dangling from his forehead which acted as his headlight. "Ah, it's Angler," Strikedramon yawned. "Guten Tag!"

"Guten Abend," Angler corrected.

Ken smiled. "Guten Tag is a general misconception, Ryo. Most people think it means hello, but it really means good day. You want to say good evening." The boy then turned his attention to the Trailmon. "Machen Sie nur sprechen Deutsch?" he asked.

"I know what it means, I just didn't realize how late it had gotten..." Strikedramon said as he got to his feet.

"Nein, I speak Japanese too," Angler answered, a smile curving onto his face out of the white metal bumper on his front.

"Wunderbar," Ken said and nodded. "We're looking to visit... Who was it again, Ryo?"

"Shamanmon," Strikedramon said.

"Wait, wait..." Angler said, suddenly lifting himself up a bit to get a look at the dragon man Digimon. "Entschuldigung Sie bitte, but did you say Ryo? What happened to you?"

"It's a long story," Strikedramon said with a breath outward. "But it's part of the reason we need to see Shamanmon. Can you take us to him?"

"Natürlich!" Angler exclaimed, setting himself back on the track and opening his doors. "All aboard!"

Ken bowed his head. "Vielen Dank." He boarded Angler with his companions. "Haben Sie Ryo für sehr lang gewusst?" he asked, sitting as close to the front as possible so he could converse with their ride.

Strikedramon and Wormmon sat down a bit further back, neither one of them able to participate in the conversation. "I didn't know Ken spoke German," Strikedramon said, frowning a bit.

"He actually speaks a lot of languages," Wormmon said with a proud tone to his voice.

"Ja, sind wir alle über die Digitale Welt zusammen gegangen," Angler answered. "Right, Ryo?"

"Right what?" Strikedramon answered.

"We traveled all over!"

"Oh! Uh, yes, yes we did."

Ken laughed. "Das müsste lieber aufgeregt haben!" he said. "Ich wünsche, dass unser jetziges Abenteuer für mehr Freizeitzwecke war. Haben Sie vom Krieg gehört, Angler?"

"Ja, habe ich davon gehört," Angler answered. "Es ist traurig."

"He speaks Japanese too, why leave us out of the conversation..." Strikedramon grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Relax, Ryo," Wormmon implored.

"Wir versuchen, einen Halt zum Krieg zu stellen," Ken explained. "Wir haben einige der Offizier alle vorbereiten besiegt, aber wir haben noch noch viele, zu gehen. Sie helfen wirklich uns. So vielen Dank." Finished with that part of the conversation, Ken then turned to look at the other two Digimon. "It wasn't anything we haven't been discussing before, Ryo."

"If you say so," Strikedramon answered, tail flicking before he stretched himself out over the overstuffed blue cushions like a cat before curling up upon them. "Wake me when we get there, then."

"Sie sind willkommen," Angler said, before laughing gently. "Er ist in einer schlechten Stimmung, Huh?"

Ken nodded and looked guiltily at Strikedramon. "Er fühlt ausgelassen," Ken explained. "Er ist allein für eine lange Zeit gewesen. Wenn ich zuerst hier gekommen bin, könnte ich erzählen, dass er aufgeregt wurde. Ryo hat schließlich jemanden gehabt, mit zu sprechen. Ich tadle nicht ihn. Ausgeschlossen ist nie Spaß zu werden. Auch haben wir ein bisschen A. gehabt.. Moment früher."

"Ich sehe..." Angler said quietly. He then fell silent as he turned his attention to the tracks, as he had to change them in order to veer off towards their destination.

Ken got up from his seat and moved to the seat across from Strikedramon. "Um... Ryo?"

If Strikedramon had visible eyes, he might have cracked one open. "Mhm?"

"You know I wasn't trying to ignore you, right?"

"Mhm..." Strikedramon hummed, readjusting himself on the cushions. "I'm a bit jealous," he admitted. "Angler tried to teach me German, but it never took."

"It's hard," Ken agreed. "German took the longest for me to learn. I haven't even come close to speaking English. Some of us have the ear for it and some of us don't. You have plenty of other skills to be proud of."

"I suppose," Strikedramon murmured as he rolled onto his back. "I just wanted to learn it because it would have given me something to do on these long rides with Angler. I always felt so useless just sitting here once I realized it wasn't sticking."

Ken frowned. "But he also speaks Japanese. You could have still talked to him."

"Yes, but I wanted to be learning something," Strikedramon explained. "He had something to teach me, but I couldn't learn. It was frustrating."

"Well, maybe I can teach you."

"Really?" Strikedramon asked, lifting his head up.

Ken nodded. "It's always worth a try, sure. If German doesn't work, we can try French or Italian or Danish or any number of things."

Strikedramon's jaw practically dropped. "You speak all of those?"

The boy blushed and grinned sheepishly. "And a few others."

"Once we were in Mexico, and we were only able to talk to the Digidestined there because Ken speaks Spanish," Wormmon declared, obviously quite proud of his partner.

"Wow, that's brilliant!" Strikedramon gawked.

Ken blushed even deeper and put his hands up. "It's really not that great."

"I think so," Strikedramon said with a sharp-toothed grin. "I bet you're great at a lot of things that you're not telling me about."

Ken shook his head shyly. "I... I don't have that many skills, really."

"You're a liar," Strikedramon said with a toothy grin.

"Ken's very good at most anything he puts his mind to," Wormmon said, still sounding quite proud. And it was true- even if the dark spore's amazing genius powers were gone, Ken was still a very smart and capable person without it. "He got into a really good high school too!"

"Wow, that's right, you're in high school now, huh?" Strikedramon murmured, unseen eyes focused on Ken.

Ken smiled and nodded. "Second year, actually, yes."

"What's it like?" Strikedramon asked curiously.

"What's it like?" Ken echoed. "Well, I don't know... Sometimes it can be challening. Sometimes it can be boring, too. Classes start at 8:30 in the morning, but I have to leave home at 6:30. Partly because I have to ride the public train to get there. Also, I have pre-class responsibilities. My school is really strict about our behavior in public. I can't chew gum, eat snacks, drink soda, listen to music, or read while walking. The uniform is very standard. Black."

Strikedramon frowned. "That sounds rough," he said, laying so his feet were on the top of the cushions and his head was over the edge, orange and black hair spilling down to touch the floor so he was staring at Ken upside-down. "Are all high schools like that?"

Ken shook his head. "No, not all of them. Public high schools are more lenient. My school is very private and privileged, so there's an image to maintain."

"Hmm..." Strikedramon's tail waved from side to side as he thought. "I probably would have gone to a public one, then. I probably wouldn't be good at keeping a good image," he said with a small rolling laugh.

"It all depends on your testing, Ryo, remember?" Ken asked. "After junior high school, students attend schools based on standardized high school entrance examination scores."

"Right... like I said, probably would have gone public. I doubt I would have scored well." Strikedramon shrugged his shoulders. "I was okay in school but tests always got me."

"Daisuke wasn't very good with testing either. He's quite clever, but not very book smart. He always had to work just a little bit harder than the others, but it always paid off."

"We sound more and more alike every time you compare us," Strikedramon laughed.

"On the surface, yes, but on the inside..." Ken smiled and tucked some hair behind his ear. "You two are very different."

"Like how?" Strikedramon asked, tilting his head to the side.

"It's a little hard to describe," the boy said. "I feel something different in you than I do Daisuke."

"Is that a good thing?" the large Digimon asked hopefully.

Ken laughed sweetly. "It's really good."

"I'm glad," Strikedramon hummed, smiling as he pulled himself back up onto the cushions, curling up again. "I feel... something good in you, too."

The pale boy blushed. "Really? Th-Thank you..."

Strikedramon glanced over at him on the opposite cushions before beckoning him over with a flick of his tail. "C'mon, it's gonna be a long trip."

The blush turned a brighter shade of pink, but Ken stood up and moved closer to Strikedramon. "Where... Where should I..."

Strikedramon pushed himself to sit upright, crossing his legs into a pretzal before waving Ken towards him with his arms. "Here."

Ken climbed carefully into Strikedramon's lap, curling up and laying his head on the Digimon's chest. "Like this?"

"Mhm," Strikedramon murmured, crossing his arms over Ken's side and letting his muzzle rest on top of his head. "Just like that."

Ken smiled. "Good night, Ryo."

"G'night, Ken," Strikedramon said quietly, resting his tail over Ken's legs.

Angler suddenly came to a stop early the next morning, as the sunlight was filtering through the windows. "Guten Morgen!" Angler's voice echoed through the car. "We're here!"

"Guten Morgen..." Strikedramon groaned, looking over his shoulder. Though it wasn't an official station, the tracks had passed by their destination and Angler had stopped them just at the foot of the hill it was perched upon. The entire hill was covered in brightly colored tents, like a giant bazaar.

"Not yet..." Ken mumbled and nuzzled closer to Strikedramon, curling up smaller.

"C'mon Ken, we've gotta get up. Angler's got places to go," Strikedramon murmured, covering his mouth as a yawn interrupted the end of his sentence.

Ken whined quietly and snuggled even closer. "Comfy..."

Strikedramon smiled sleepily, petting down the side of the boy's head with the dull backside of one of his claws. "Tell you what, we can make this sleeping arrangement a regular thing. But right now, we need to get moving."

Ken whined again, but he started to move. Rubbing his eyes and yawning, the boy finally got up. "Wrmmn?" he mumbled sleepily. "Where Wrmmon?"

"Up here, Ken." Wormmon was perched upon the netting usually used for baggage, looking down at the two of them. "I got hit with Strikedramon's tail in the middle of the night, so I moved."

"Oh... I'm sorry, Wormmon," the large dragon man apologized, tilting his head back.

"No, it's alright," Wormmon said with a small laugh. "Next time I know not to sit too close."

Ken reached his arms up and made little grabbing motions with his hands. "'Mere Wrmmon..."

Wormmon wiggled to the edge before he dropped down from the baggage net into Ken's arms. "Did you have a good night's sleep, Ken?"

"Good sleepy..." the boy mumbled and started to walk off the train. Once at the slope of the hill, his tired eyes looked up at all the colored tents. "Rainbow..."

"Reise!" Angler said as he closed his doors, wishing them a safe journey.

"Seien Sie vorsichtig!" Strikedramon returned with a wave, one of the few phrases he'd managed to hold onto from Angler's lessons. The Trailmon laughed as he took off along the rail again, and he was soon chugging off into the valley that dipped down from the hillside. "Alright, so," Strikedramon said, turning his sights up onto the hill and shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand. "They're probably all setting up about this time in the morning. That's fine, we're not here for any of the Digimon in the tents." He lowered his voice, smirking slightly. "Quite honestly, most of the fortune-tellers here are scam artists. But Shamanmon's the real deal, and he lives at the very top," he said, pointing at a towering temple that sat in the middle of the bazaar of tents.

Ken sighed. "More climbing." He then took the first step of many up the hill toward the temple. "Shamanmon can tell us where the officer is?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, but he was my first thought for who to ask," Strikedramon said with a shrug as he started to lead the way up the hill. "He helped me figure out where I needed to go when I trekked across this continent the first time, to help me find the place I was looking for, but..." He was quiet for a moment, but then laughed and shook his head. "He's cryptic, that's all. He'll give us a reading of the future and it may be difficult to decode. It may even be about something other than the officer, who knows. But it'll give us a place to start at least."

Indigo eyes looked up at the dragon man. "What was the place you were looking for?"

"Oh, it was..." Strikedramon seemed to hesitate as he thought of how to describe the place. "It was a place where all of the data for the history of the Digital World is stored."

"Wow..." Ken breathed. "Why did you need to go there?"

"Curiousity," Strikedramon said with a shrug. "I wanted to know how the digital beings who aren't actually Digimon came to be. I met the people who started making the data that Digimon and those beings evolved from, but they couldn't tell me why some of them evolved into Digimon and some evolved into other digital lifeforms. So, I thought I could go to the historical database and figure it out."

"Did you?"

"Sort of," Strikedramon answered. "I didn't really find out where they came from, but... I found out some interesting things about them."

"That's pretty cool," Ken said with a smile. "My only apprehension is that he's going to tell us something we don't want to hear."

"Only one way to find out," Strikedramon said. He picked up his pace a little bit as they came into the swath of tents. All sorts of Digimon were already bustling about, between the fortune-tellers and their clients. Digimon like Geckomon, Doggymon, and Sepikmon shouted from their stalls, trying to get the attention of the Digimon which moved from one tent to the other, trying to decide where to spend their money on their fortunes. Strikedramon looked a bit out of place, mostly due to the fact that he was as all as most of the tents, but luckily that helped him clear the way through the crowd towards the peak of the hill.

"Helloooooo," purred a creepily flamboyant voice, as a Vademon grabbed Ken by the hand to get his attention. "Would you like your palm read?""

Ken gasped, turning to look at the... brain Digimon? "O-Oh, no... Not today, thank you," he said nervously. Somehow this felt familiar, like from a movie he saw or a story someone told him. One of his friends maybe?

"Are you sure?" The Vademon insisted, pouting his black-painted lips. "It's no charge, and I can see just by looking at your face that you have a lot of questions you'd like answered."

"Hey, he said no," Wormmon said from Ken's shoulder with an angry twitch of his antenna.

"Please, I'm falling behind my friend," Ken insisted. He tried pulling his arm free, but the Vademon just seemed to hold on tighter. "E-Excuse me... Please..."

Strikedramon suddenly looked over his shoulder and noticed that Ken was being talked to by the large-headed Digimon. With a growl, he turned around, fighting against the flow of the crowd until he got over to them and quickly snatching Ken's hand from Vademon and pulling them away. "You have to be careful, Ken," he urged, his voice barely making words as if it was an effort to grit them out from between his teeth. "If that Vademon had done anything to you, I might have caused a huge scene."

Ken frowned. "It's not like I did it on purpose. I was right behind you. I didn't even make eye contact. He just grabbed me."

"I know, I'm sorry," Strikedramon said, shaking his head quickly and letting go of Ken's hand. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt, including you."

"I know... Thank you." Ken stuck to Strikedramon's side rather than walking behind. It seemed to establish the fact that they were travelling together and that Ken was not to be coaxed.

Finally, they reached the top of the hill, moving out of the crowd. The huge stone temple was a very stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the brightly colored bazaar. Strikedramon led the way up the steps and pushed the huge stone double doors open surprisingly easily. "Who approaches Shamanmon?" came a voice from inside.

"Weary travelers in need of wisdom," Strikedramon recited, ushering Ken inside with a flick of his tail. Ken ventured inside carefully. Suddenly the doors closed behind them, making a loud noise as they did. At a loss for anything else to do, Ken dropped to his knees and put his forehead to the floor. Strikedramon looked confused when Ken got into a bowing position. "You don't need to do that, Ken," Strikedramon said quietly.

The sound of bare feet padding across the stone floor echoed in the chamber, belonging to the Digimon they sought. Surprisingly, he was a short Digimon who looked like an ogre, with olive green skin and a yellow mohawk. He had two tusks which stuck up from his bottom gums, an earring in one of his pointed ears, and wore an outfit of blue and brown. In his hand, he held a wooden club with a screw in one side. Despite Ryo's changed appearence, the Digimon smiled a slightly yellowing smile. "Ah, welcome back. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Not quite..." Strikedramon answered. "But your advice was useful."

"Good, good... and who is this?" "This is Ken," Strikedramon said, gesturing to the boy as he made a motion for him to get up.

His face was hot for a moment. Embarrassed, but then Ken stood. He still insisted on bowing traditionally to the Digimon. "Thank you for seeing us, Shamanmon," he said. "You must be busy."

"Nope," the Digimon answered in a surprisingly casual tone. "Only those who can open the doors to the temple see me. And the doors can only be opened by those on important quests. So, the rest see the fortune-tellers on the hill." He turned his attention to Strikedramon, laughing as he said, "Two important quests in one lifetime? You must be busy."

"You have no idea," Strikedramon said with his own small laugh.

"Well then, we have a lot to look at!" Shamanmon exclaimed, waving his club about in the air above his head. Quite frankly, Ken was surprised by the casual tone Shamanmon was using. He thought a creature with the ability to see the future and read people would be much more mysterious and serious. He watched as the ogre swung his club around, waiting for something to happen. Was it magic or was he just going to draw cards? Queen of diamonds meant victory. Jack of spades meant defeat. Didn't seem very... Shaman-like. Shamanmon then began to dance. He closed his eyes and hopped from one foot to the other, swinging his club and seemingly concentrating hard. He suddenly opened his eyes and pointed his club at Ken. "You!" he said, still dancing from one foot to the other though he stopped to speak. "A foe in the affairs of the heart will also deny you the golden key to moving forward. Beware clear waters, for even they can conceal this foe!"

"Affairs of the heart?" He looked at Strikedramon and then back at Shamanmon. "Golden key? Clear waters?" Ken blinked. "Wait, are we travelling by water again? No... No... Where are we supposed to go?"

"Across the clear waters!" Shamanmon proclaimed. "Foes both that you seek and which seek you are waiting there."

Ken frowned. "Seek Ryo and me? That... That can't be good."

"The waters you seek seperate us and the ones which shadow us," Shamanmon said with a nod, slinging his club over his shoulder.

"I see," Strikedramon said, also nodding as if he understood. "I know where we're going, then."

Ken blinked again. A number of times. "Well, that's good because I have no idea what he just said except for water."

Strikedramon just laughed gently. "We need to get all the way to the other side of the continent," Strikedramon said. He then turned to Shamanmon and bowed his head. "Thank you once again for your guidance."

"Best of luck," Shamanmon responded with his own nod, as his dance finally ceased.

The boy sighed. "Of course, more long distance travel." Ken missed the days when they could just select an area on the map and teleport themselves there from any real world computer. "I don't know how the original kids did this for so long. I get so tired."

"You'll get used to it," Strikedramon said with a smile as he led the way out of the temple. Shamanmon waved them off until the stone doors closed behind them. "Now..." Strikedramon frowned, touching his chin. "There's only one Trailmon who'll take us all the way to the ocean."

"Which one?" Ken asked.

"DarkTrailmon," Strikedramon said. "He's the only one that will go near the Continent of Darkness, which is across the land-bridge."

Ken shrank where he stood. "That sounds... a little scary."

"It's a bit of a spooky place," Strikedramon admitted. "But we're just going to the ocean, we won't have to cross into the Continent of Darkness, I think..."

Now Ken gulped. "I hope not. I sounds like a place I really shouldn't be. Not too deep in or for too long."

"I don't think anyone wants to be there for too long. I certainly know I didn't... but we won't be going for now. And DarkTrailmon's a nice guy believe it or not. The problem is finding him... He doesn't exactly ride the regular rails."

Ken dodged the Vademon as they passed him again. It was disturbing how much the Digimon wanted to talk to the boy. "Where are we supposed to look?" Ken asked.

"I'm... honestly not sure," Strikedramon said quietly. "He sort of found me the last time I rode in him... our best bet is to just walk along the rails and... see who comes by."

"Do you even know which direction we should go in?"

"That I do know," Strikedramon said as they descended the hill. "We came from one side of the continent where the Flame Terminal was. We need to head the opposite direction," he explained, pointing, "in order to reach the Macro Sea."

Ken nodded. "Ryo, what do you think Shamanmon meant by 'golden key'?"

"Not quite sure about that, either," Strikedramon admitted. "Maybe it'll become clear once we get to the ocean."

The boy just hummed. Once at the bottom of the hill again, they set off down along the tracks. "You okay there, Wormmon?" Ken asked the Digimon still perched on his shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine, Ken," Wormmon said. "Are you going to be alright? You know I can Digivolve if you get tired."

"We will be walking pretty much all day," Strikedramon agreed.

"I'll let you know when I get tired," Ken said. "I promise. Right now, though, I feel pretty good."

"Alright," Wormmon said, nodding. The trek was quite boring, all things considered. Trailmon didn't whip by on the tracks at all no matter how long or far they seemed to walk, probably because unlike real trains, they didn't run on schedules. The sun was high in the sky and beating down upon them before too long, as they trekked the grassy valley that the tracks ran through.

Ken was panting softly as the heat was sort of getting to him. Especially without any water. "Think... Think Bullmon would be willing to carry me for a while?" Ken asked of his Digimon. "My feet and chest hurt a little."

Wormmon nodded quickly. "Of course, Ken! Just activate the DigiEgg and I'll gladly carry you for a while."

"It's best if you do," Strikedramon agreed. "If we can keep this pace up then we can be in a forest by nightfall. I remember it being around here... and we'll need the cover before we set up camp."

Ken drew out his D-Terminal and set Wormmon down on the ground. With the DigiEgg of Hope selected, he said, "Digimental Up," and aimed.

Bullmon appeared in a flash, and Strikedramon stopped to watch as Ken got up onto his Digimon's back. "I told you he'd make a good steed," the dragon man Digimon said with a smirk.

"Oh, was that you who said that?" Ken replied with a smirk of his own as he grabbed onto the cape like reigns.

Bullmon snorted a laugh through his golden mask and Strikedramon might've rolled his eyes if he had any. They set out on their trek again, luckily able to keep up the pace thanks to Bullmon's takeover of the travelling. Finally, after many long hours, the forest Strikedramon had spoke of appeared on the horizon. "There!" he exclaimed, pointing at the tall canopy of trees. "I knew it wasn't far."

"Is it safe?" Ken asked. "I mean... how close are to the Continent of Darkness? On second thought, we're probably nowhere near close, are we?"

"We aren't anywhere near it," Strikedramon confirmed. "We've got a ways to go before we get there."

"Is it possible we could end up walking the whole way there?" Ken asked while at the same time still wondering what was lurking in the forest, and what dwelled beyond the forest.

"If no Trailmon come along, yeah, it's possible," Strikedramon said, nodding. "I walked across most of this continent the first time I arrived until DarkTrailmon picked me up."

Ken glanced at Strikedramon. "You never answered my question about the forest."

"What about it?" Strikedramon asked.

"I asked if it was safe."

"Safer than being out in the open," Strikedramon said, looking over his shoulder. "I once ran into a herd of Tapirmon in there, but they were pretty tame."

"I'd imagine so. Aren't they Holy Digimon?" Ken inquired.

"Yeah, but Holy Digimon can go too far too," Strikedramon said, slackening his pace so he came to walk alongside Bullmon. "They can be way too strict about their holiness and take it out on innocent Digimon, and some of them can go wild if they lose their Holy Rings."

Ken thought on this. "Gatomon lost hers back in the day. I wasn't around to see it, but I heard the story. Nothing happened to her."

"Maybe it's different for chosen Digimon," Strikedramon said with a shrug. "Losing it doesn't always make them go crazy, mind. They may just get more irritable," he said with a small laugh.

"I guess so." Ken was quiet until they reached the forest. He had Bullmon stay Bullmon just for the sake of keeping pace.

Strikedramon suddenly veered off the tracks when they started to lose light. Bullmon hesitated, looking understandably confused, and Strikedramon looked over his shoulder with sort of a smile on his face. "There's a part of this forest that does something really cool when night falls. We're gonna camp out there and then come back to the rail in the morning." He turned around and went back to leading the way, and Bullmon quickly picked up the pace to catch up to him.

Ken frowned worriedly. He wanted to trust Ryo, but... "Are you sure we won't get lost?"

"Don't worry, I spent a long time in this forest," Strikedramon responded. "I know my way around." He suddenly stopped and slammed his arm into one of the trees next to him, and a rain of pale green apples came down to the ground. He stooped down to pick them up and stuffed them into the pockets of his pants before he kept going, leading them to a clearing a short walk away.

"Ah!" Ken at once curled his arms over his head. "Ryo, be careful!" he scolded. "One of those could have fallen on my head!"

"Oh c'mon Ken, they're small," Strikedramon laughed. "Wouldn't have hurt even if one did hit you. Now..." He looked around the clearing, nodding to himself before turning to Ken. "Would you guys mind getting some firewood? We need to cook these."

"Firewood?" Ken echoed. "Um, sure. C'mon, Bullmon, let's go." The boy guided his Digimon along. First he gathered kindling from the brush on the ground. Next, Ken started pulling branches off the trees. Since they weren't really in a position to cut the trees down and chop wood, this was the best they could do.

The wood was stacked onto Bullmon's curved horns and desposited into the middle of the clearing. Strikedramon had spent his time finding smaller, sturdy sticks and carving the ends sharp, driving the sharp ends through the apples. Once the firewood was set up, he snaked his tail underneath into the brushy kindling. "Strike Fang!" He lit the end of his tail alight and used it to start the fire, as he placed the sticks holding the apples into the ground around the wood pile.

Bullmon devolved into Wormmon while watching, a confused look on both of his faces. "I don't mean to question you, but why are we cooking the apples?" he asked quietly.

"You'll see," was Strikedramon's only answer.

Ken came to sit beside Strikedramon. "Did Shamanmon's cryptic methods rub off on you that quickly?" he teased.

Strikedramon laughed, shaking his head. "It's just more fun if I don't tell you." They let the apples cook for a while, as the evening continued to darken. Eventually, Strikedramon turned his head up and smiled again. "This is the only continent in the Digital World where you can see all three of the moons at once, completely unobstructed," he murmured, pointing upwards. Above them, three moons of light red, green, and blue hovered in the cloudy night sky, all equally close and shining equally bright.

Indigo eyes looked upward where Strikedramon was pointing. "Wow..." he breathed. Ken fell back into the grass, hair splayed out underneath him, arms spread to the side, shirt riding up a little. "They're beautiful," he said.

"Aren't they?" Strikedramon agreed, leaning back onto his elbows. "They always look really vibrant from here, too. That's one of the things that makes this spot ideal."

"Do they have names?" Ken asked.

"Not as far as I know," Strikedramon murmured, shaking his head. "They might, though."

The pale boy smiled. "Maybe we should name them."

"Us name them?" Strikedramon asked, leaning over towards Ken with a curious look on his face. "Like what?"

"Like..." Ken pointed upward. "The blue one could be Vishuddha."

"Where'd you get that from?" Strikedramon asked, tilting his head.

"It's the fifth primary chakra in Hindu tradition," Ken explained. "Vishuddha chakra symbolizes the pure consciousness and creativity. On a psychic level, it governs expression, inspiration in speech, eloquence, and perception."

Strikedramon rested his elbow on the ground, and his muzzle in his hand as he listened to Ken. "That's interesting..." he said quietly, his tail waving back and forth behind him. "And what would you call the others, then?"

Ken smiled. "Well, if I was going to stick with a theme, then I would name the red one Lakshmi. She is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity, and courage. She's also the embodiment of beauty, grace, and charm. Lakshmi is always depicted wearing red and holding pink water lilies."

"Some Digimon told me that the moons represented the three Celestial Digimon," Strikedramon said as he glanced up at them. "If that was true, and that moon represented Ophanimon, that name would be... very accurate." He smiled a bit sheepishly. "Except the wearing red part, so I guess that defeats the idea."

"Maybe the moon's name is Ophan," Ken suggested. "But if I had to name the green one, it would be Anahata."

"And what's that mean?"

"It's the fourth primary chakra in Hindu tradition. Anahata chakra symbolizes the consciousness of love, empathy, selflessness and devotion. On the psychic level, this center of force inspires the human being to love, be compassionate, altruistic, devoted and to accept the things that happen in a divine way." Ken was quiet for a moment, and then he laughed at himself. "Of course, I'm sure none of that means anything to anyone."

"How can you be sure of that?" Strikedramon questioned.

"I mean here in the Digital World," Ken replied. "Digimon barely know much about the Human world, much less the specifics of religion. Even if I was to name those moons, the names wouldn't stick."

"I see," Strikedramon said. "They're probably named after those Celestial Digimon, now that I think about it," he murmured, sitting himself up again. The apples seemed ready. He plucked three of them from the ground, handing one to Wormmon and another to Ken. The skin on the outside was still pale green, but when Strikedramon bit into his, the inside was revealed to be a red-brown color. "Go on, taste it," he prompted.

Wormmon took a bite of his and his eyes went wide with surprise. "It tastes like steak!"

Ken looked at his apple warily. "It didn't really turn into steak, did it?"

"All the apples in this forest just taste like different meats. But they're apples," Strikedramon answered after swallowing. "Why?"

Ken chuckled. "You probably haven't noticed, but I don't eat red meat," he replied before taking a bite of the apple.

"You don't?" Strikedramon echoed, looking surprised. "Well... maybe yours is a chicken apple," he said with a small laugh. "Mine's lamb... I think..."

The boy nodded. "I'm somewhat prone to anemia now, but yeah. I eat a lot of soy and tofu to make up for it." Ken frowned at the thought of eating a lamb. He didn't eat red meat mainly because he found it unappetizing, but Ken also detested the thought of killing baby animals for food.

"I can't really remember," Strikedramon continued as he took another bite of the apple. "There's a lot of fruits and vegetables in the Digital World that taste like meat, but some of them are hard to get your hands on." He then laughed, tail waving after he swallowed. "And then there's the even weirder places where they just grow meat on the bone right out of the ground."

Indigo eyes widened. "That hardly seems natural."

"It's the Digital World," was Strikedramon's explanation, shrugging his shoulders and popping the rest of the apple in his mouth before swallowing it, stem, core and all.

"I suppose that's true." Ken took a few more bites of his apple before pausing. "If I were to eat one of these apples without cooking it, would it taste like a regular apple?"

"No, it'd taste like raw meat," Strikedramon murmured. "Trust me, I tried eating them raw once."

Ken frowned. "Oh... I see." That wasn't the answer he was hoping for. Knowing the taste would be rather detestable, he stuck with the cooked apple.

They continued to eat as the clearing got steadily darker. Strikedramon kept glancing up at the moons, eating the apples whole once he discovered that his powerful jaws made taking small bites harder. Finally, he saw what he was looking for, as a cloud drifted over the moons. "Guys, check this out," he suddenly prompted, turning and pointing at the trees. Almost all at once, small patches of bark on each of the trees lit up white, and then started to make fuzzy nosies like an improperly hooked up television.

Ken's brow furrowed in confusion and curiosity. "What's it doing?"

"Tuning in to the human world," Strikedramon said. One by one, the white screen suddenly flickered to what looked like television channels. Except they weren't. They were simply scenes from the real world. One showed an airplane flying through the air and another showed the ocean.

Ken got to his feet and approached one of the trees. He put his hands on the normal pieces of bark, looking into the small screen on the trunk, and gasped. "That's the Arc de Triomphe," he breathed.

"I just shows general stuff at first," Strikedramon said as he stood as well, coming to be beside Ken. "Eventually it'll tap into our thoughts and the channels will change..."

"Our thoughts?" Ken said. In the very same instant, the little screen flickered and changed. Ken gasped when he saw the inside of his apartment back home. A policeman was there talking to his father, who looked extremely tired and just nodded his head wearily. Then Ken saw his mother sitting on the couch. He could tell she'd been wearing the same clothes for a few days now. Her hair was a mess, her face run ragged, and she was sobbing over one of his shirts. Ken felt his heart fall into his stomach as tears crept into his eyes. "Mama? Mama... Mama, please don't cry," he said softly.

"Maybe you should have one of your friends explain what's going on, Ken," Strikedramon suggested quietly. "You're lucky enough to still have that sort of contact."

Ken gasped. Why hadn't he thought of that before? He grabbed the D-Terminal from his pocket, opened it, and frantically began typing a message that would be sent to all his friends. Someone would have to receive it. Someone would have to tell his parents. "I can't believe I've been putting her through this," Ken cried slightly.

"Sometimes when you're in the Digital World, you just get caught up and forget," Strikedramon responded. "At least you have that... what's it called? D-Terminal?"

The boy nodded shakily. "Izzy made them for everyone a long time ago. After I joined the group, he was nice enough to make one for me."

"And they work between the two worlds? That's pretty amazing," Strikedramon murmured. "I'll have to meet him."

"Izzy... Izzy is really sm-smart," Ken said, fingers shaking a little as he tried to type. He really was upset by all of this. Saddened by his mother's grief. Angry at himself. Guilty for everything.

Strikedramon hesitantly lifted his three-fingered hand, resting it on Ken's shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't realize this would be so upsetting."

Ken shook his head. "No... No, you didn't know. It's personal, really. What I put them through in the past... You didn't know. It's okay."

"I just used to like coming to this forest, way back when," Strikedramon explained. "I even lived here for a few months."

"I should try harder to like it here. I'm sorry," Ken apologized. "It is... very fascinating. Really."

"The Digital World can be harsh and unforgiving too, Ken. It's okay if you don't like everything it has to show you." Strikedramon rolled his shoulders back. "The point is that you watch and listen. Even if you dislike it, it can teach you something." He laughed gently, pointing at the D-Terminal. "After all, I might not have thought to suggest that if it weren't for the Digital World. You know?"

Ken laughed gently. "I... I suppose you're right, yes."

Suddenly, the screen they stood in front of changed. It flickered for a moment before changing to another apartment. This one showed two boys about Ryo's age lounging on a couch, one blond and the other a brunet, presumably watching something on their own television from the way they were acting. "Freinds of yours?" Strikedramon asked, trying to change the subject.

Ken looked. "O-Oh! That's... They're Taichi and Yamato. Original Chosen Children. Taichi was their leader. They all fought um... Devimon, Myotismon, the Dark Masters, and then Apocalymon."

"Did they..." Strikedramon peered at the screen until suddenly, an orange dinosaur Digimon appeared from behind the couch and started talking to the brunet. "Wait a second... I recognize that Agumon."

"Hm?" Ken peered closer at the screen. "That's Taichi's Agumon. He likes to make jokes."

"I've met them before!" Strikedramon suddenly exclaimed, tapping the two on the screen with two of his claws.

Now Ken frowned. "What? Ryo, that's impossible. Taichi never once mentioned you."

"It was a long time ago. The first time I went into the Digital World." Strikedramon looked over his shoulder at Ken. "Before we went together."

"Are you sure? Taichi never talked about that."

"I'm completely sure." Strikedramon looked back at the screen before pointing to the blond. "He has a Gabumon, right?"

The boy blinked. "A very doting Gabumon, yes."

"So he's Matt, then," Strikedramon confirmed, again looking at Ken for confirmation.

Ken nodded. "Yamato, yes. I said that."

"And that Izzy kid you mentioned... is his partner a Tentomon?"

One too smart for his own good," Ken mumbled.

"And the other kids... There was Mimi, and her partner was Palmon, and Joe, and his was Gomamon, and uh... Sora, hers was Biyomon..."

Ken blinked again. "How... How do you know all that?"

"I'm telling you, I met them." Strikedramon murmured, staring at the screen. It suddenly jumped to a different apartment, showing Sora, TK, Izzy, Kari, Mimi, and Joe all together, seemingly having a meal at one of their homes. "The very first time I went to the Digital World, I didn't have a Digivice or partner to call my own. But I met this Agumon, the one who brought me there, and he told me he'd lend me his partner's Digivice if I could help him, because all of the kids had been captured by Millenniummon." He glanced back at Ken then. "I agreed and I used that Digivice and partnered up with that Agumon, and as I set the kids free their partners joined me, too. I don't think the others remember, since they were in a weird stupor and had to be sent back to the real world to rest, but I remember them."

Ken shook his head. "Wait, wait, wait... Back up. You went to the Digital World before you and I were pulled in?"

Strikedramon nodded. "Yeah. On New Year's Eve, when I was eleven."

"You never told me!"

"I didn't tell you?" Strikedramon echoed, sounding surprised. "Huh... well... well yeah, that was my first time in the Digital World. But... that was back when the time flow between the worlds was different, so maybe I thought it was a dream when I first got back."

"But... But what about when we went together?" Ken insisted. "You didn't think to mention anything? Like how you'd been there before? We were best friends, Ryo!"

"We still are best friends, Ken," Strikedramon insisted. "I must have had a reason."

Ken's body relaxed and his face fell into surprise. "We... We're best friends?"

Strikedramon tilted his head to the side. "Yeah. I mean, I know we haven't been together for a really long time, but I still consider you my best friend. I've never had a closer friend since."

"E-Even after being with Rika... and Takato, Henry, and... Kazu a-and Kenta?"

Strikedramon nodded his head, smiling slightly. "Yeah. They were all amazing friends, don't get me wrong... but none of them knew me like you do, you know?"

Ken shook his head. "N-Nuh-N-No..."

"Are you okay?" Strikedramon asked, concern obvious in his voice.

"I don't... I-I-I thought..." Ken shook his head again. "Ryo, we... we..." The bark on the trees began to flicker and they all changed to beaches somewhere on Earth that were swept up in the rain or even hurricanes. Ken whimpered and pressed the heel of his palm over one of his eyes.

"Ken? Are you okay?" Strikedramon repeated, reaching towards him and touching the side of his face with one of his scaley fingers.

Ken struggled to bite back his tears. "Why did you send me away?"

"Wh-what? When? You mean after our battle? You... you had to go home, Ken. You were sick."

"I would have gotten better!" Ken argued. "Why didn't you come with me? Why couldn't we stay together, Ryo?"

"I did!" Strikedramon retorted. "I did come back with you! But then we got that e-mail about the tournament and... and you said I should go. Remember?"

Ken looked up at the Digimon, his eyes shifting. "I... I what? No no no, I... Mmmn!" Ken held his forehead and the little screens turned to loud static.

Strikedramon frowned, reaching both of his arms forward and wrapping Ken in them, pulling him into his chest. "But that wasn't your fault, and it wasn't mine, either. It was the dark spore."

"Ryo, I... I don't feel... feel... don't..." Ken couldn't finish before all his weight slumped forward against the dragon man's body and he started to slip towards the ground.

Strikedramon lowered himself along with Ken, coming to sit on the ground and leaning back against one of the trees, still holding the boy to his chest. "Ken..." he murmured lowly, sighing and petting back his hair.


	18. Dark Forest

Ken awoke a few hours later. He moaned softly and touched his head. The boy looked more tired now than he had when he fainted. Looking up, he saw Strikedramon staring at one of the little screens. Even without eyes, Ken could tell the gaze was intent. "Ryo...?"

Strikedramon's head turned down just a bit. "Oh... you're awake," he murmured, keeping his voice down, like he was talking to a frightened animal. "You okay?"

"I was really hot... and my head hurt... like I was sick," he replied quietly. Ken's indigo eyes tried to see what was on the screen. "What... What are you watching?"

Strikedramon shifted Ken up a bit so he could see the screen clearly. "See for yourself," he said. All of the screens that were still on in the forest were showing the same scene. It was Ryo's parents. It was a relatively normal day for them, it seemed, as they were unpacking groceries in the kitchen of his house. It was the same house Ryo had grown up in, the one that most kids living in apartments envied. Strikedramon recognized it. The same sort of fancy kitchen, with the nice marble countertops and the huge refridgerator that could store way more food than they ever needed. His mother was unpacking the groceries and handing them to his father, who was putting them away in the fridge.

Ken watched quietly. At first he didn't know what he was looking at, but then it clicked. He recognized the woman from days when he went to Ryo's house to play. She always answered the door and made them snacks. The man would drive Ken home if he ended up staying past dark. "Those are... your mom and dad..."

"Yeah," Strikedramon murmured, nodding. "When I lived here, I used to just... watch something like this. Every night." He sighed quietly, shaking his head. "It's good to see that they're living on without me."

"Ryo..." Ken carefully touched the Digimon's arm. "You shouldn't... do this to yourself."

"What?" Ryo breathed, shaking his head again. "There's nothing wrong with it. My D-Arc couldn't open a gate home, so... it was just nice to see that they were okay."

Ken was quiet for a moment, but then he just nodded his head. "As long as you're okay... I won't bother you with it." Ken felt a pinch between his eyes, so he settled back down in Strikedramon's lap. "Ryo, sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to yell or be so weird."

Strikedramon's unseen eyes were obviously trained on the video feed in the trees, but he nodded his head, listening to Ken as well. "It's alright, Ken. I can understand why you'd be upset."

"I don't know what got into me," Ken said. "I couldn't think straight. I was feeling things... Things I didn't understand. I just got confused."

Strikedramon tightened his arms around the boy a bit, pulling him closer. "It happens." Ken breathed softly. He watched Strikedramon for a few moments before reaching up a tender hand and stroking the metal helmet. "Mmm..." A small purr emerged from Strikedramon's lips as he leaned into the touch.

"Can you really feel that?" Ken asked quietly.

"Mhm," Strikedramon murmured. "The armor... it protects me, but it's still a part of me. The helmet feels like part of my head."

"And you really like this?"

"Yeah, it feels nice..."

"Ryo, can I..." Ken swallowed. "Bring your head down a little, please?" Strikedramon seemed a bit confused by the request, but complied, ducking his head down a bit. Ken swallowed nervously again and even hesitated, but then he lifted his own head just a little. He gently held the side of Strikedramon's helmet as he placed a kiss on the Digimon's jaw. "Thank you. That... That was it..."

Strikedramon looked even more surprised, and a light blush even showed on his face where his cheeks were visible. "Does it bother you that I'm a Digimon right now?" he suddenly asked.

"Maybe in some ways, but honestly... No, not really." Ken looked away shamefully. "Is that wrong?"

"No, I just..." Strikedramon looked the opposite way for a moment, thinking, but then turned back and leaned down. It took a moment of trying to purse his draconian lips awkwardly, but he finally managed to place a light kiss on Ken's cheek.

The boy gasped softly and smiled. "Ryo..."

"It feels a bit weird to me," Strikedramon admitted quietly. "To feel like this while I'm in this body, but... well, it's not like I'm Hopmon anymore." He finished with a bit of an awkward laugh at that, arms tightening around Ken again as if the boy would bolt at the revelation.

"I do sometimes wish you were a human so I could see your blue eyes and touch your hair, but this isn't so bad. You're still you underneath all of this here," Ken said and placed a hand on Strikedramon's chest. "I think about that night in Overdell... the way you touched me. Sometimes I wish we could do it again. You could like this, but I know it probably wouldn't feel right to you, so I leave the idea alone. You have to be comfortable with it too, Ryo."

"I... I wouldn't be... I mean it wouldn't be too weird," Strikedramon said. Not really stammering, but still having trouble picking his words. "I actually just... felt bad because I thought you might've felt weird about it. So I tried to... reign back."

Ken blushed and shook his head. "You're sweet to think that way for me. Honestly, though... It wouldn't bother me, either."

Suddenly, the television screens on the trees began to turn off, one by one. Obviously Strikedramon's thoughts were not in the real world anymore. "Really?" the large dragon man Digimon asked in an uncharacteristically small voice.

Ken laughed sweetly. "Really, Ryo... Remember what I said that time? Ryo is Ryo, no matter who Ryo is, and that's who I love."

"I do remember that..." Strikedramon said quietly, only for the last screen to fizzle out, leaving them with only the moonlight to light up the trees. The clouds had uncovered the three moons, bathing the forest in a mixture of blue, green, and pale red light. And suddenly, Ken would feel the tiny, careful nibbles of pointed teeth and the flickering of a forked tongue on his neck.

"Ah!" Ken gasped softly in surprise, but he immediately smiled. One of his hands held the plated face while the other tangled into dual colored hair. "Oh... Ryo..." Strikedramon swallowed dryly, but he couldn't help smiling too. He pulled Ken closer and got a bit bolder with his long mouth, though he was still quite cautious with his teeth. He mostly just flicked and licked faster with that snake-like tongue, lavishing pale skin with much-wanted attention. "Mmmh... Mmh! Ryo..." Ken gripped tighter and moaned a little louder. "Yes... Yes, there," he whimpered when the Digimon's tongue lashed along the meeting of his neck and shoulder. "Ohh..." Strikedramon inhaled sharply, and that dusting of pink that had appeared out from underneath his helmet spread a little bit further. His muscular chest heaved a little as he took the deep breaths he needed to keep going, nostrils flaring, clawed hands gripping Ken's hips as he leaned down to pay him closer attention. "Ah!" Ken's expression appeared to be lost somewhere between frightened and confused, but the building red in his cheeks told of his true emotions. The boy's hips twitched under the clawed hold. His shirt even rode up against the shiney claws, revealing a sliver of pale, tender, vulnerable flesh. "Ah... ah... ah..." Ken's fingers had taken to excitedly exploring a thick throat and hard toned chest.

"Mrnn..." A deep, gutteral sound emerged from Strikedramon's throat, vibrating beneath Ken's fingers. His hands slid up onto the boy's torso beneath his shirt, his hands so large he could almost cover all of his skin when he stretched them flat.

Ken shivered under Strikedramon's touch. He'd always wondered what it would feel like to be touched everywhere at once. So this was it, huh? "Ah... ha..ha..haaa..." Ken writhed innocently beneath the large, deadly claws. The boy knew good and well how careful Strikedramon had to be, how much restraint he had to use in order to not injure the small human. "Ryo... It feels-oh! Ryo..." Eventually Strikedramon had to lift his head away, breathing deeply and giving himself a moment to collect his thoughts. He had to make sure he was careful and didn't accidentally bite too hard. He replaced his teeth with just his tongue, breath rising from between his jaws in visible puffs of steam as his forked tongue tickled behind the human's ear. Ken managed to giggle softly and curl his neck. "Rh-Ryo!" The boy turned his head slightly so he could kiss along the Digimon's jaw. Part of Ken wished some of the armor could come off so he could properly feel Strikedramon's arms and shoulders. Even seeing what kind of eyes were hidden beneath the helmet would have been a treat. Instead, Ken just grabbed the buckled choker and pulled the dragon closer. "This is wrong, isn't it?" Ken breathed, but his tone conveyed no guilt.

"Probably," Strikedramon answered in a husky voice, the steel-tipped end of his tail smacking against the bark of the tree he leaned against. "I don't care, though," he added breathlessly. "You?"

"No," Ken replied without missing a beat. Deciding that one of them should be able to kiss the other, Ken turned around in Strikedramon's lap, now facing the Digimon. He pushed up on his knees, holding on to the choker with one hand, brushing back red hair with the other, and then began kissing purple skin. Ken was surprised at how hot the dragon was, assuming he was cold-blooded.

Strikedramon made a strange groaning noise, taking his hands off of Ken's hips so he didn't accidentally hurt him as he clenched his clawed hands. It definately wasn't a sound a human could have made, starting deep in his throat and sounding like a pleasured growl. "Mrrn... Ken..."

Ken's lips smiled against Strikedramon's skin. "That's such a crazy sound. I love it."

"I never thought I'd be making a sound like that," Strikedramon said with a rumble of a nervous laugh.

"I bet I could get you to make more sounds," Ken said, and then he whispered, "I could do a lot of things for you." Slender fingers traveled down, feeling the strong Digimon's body, that is until he came to the pants. Ken's pointer and middle finger ran along the belt and then snuck down inside. The boy gasped. Indigo eyes looked down. Ken only then realized that a Digimon's body was exactly what you saw. The fabric of the dark pants seemed to almost fuse with the rest of Strikedramon's form. "Oh..."

Strikedramon looked down, his mouth hanging open a bit in surprise. "Oh..." he echoed, touching the seam of his skin and the pants with one of his claws. They really were a part of his body, just like the armor. "I'm sorry, Ken..."

Ken just shook his head and wrapped his arms around the Digimon's shoulders, burying his face in the thick neck. "It's okay. I... It makes sense..."

Strikedramon wrapped his arms around the human's waist, resting his muzzle on Ken's shoulder. "There's still you," he suggested quietly.

"What could you do?" Ken inquired. Strikedramon had such sharp teeth and big clawed hands now. "Any options seem a little... dangerous..."

"What about if... what if I use my tongue?" Strikedramon asked, as the long forked muscle flicked out and managed to tickle Ken's ear again despite his jaws' position on his shoulder.

Ken couldn't help a tiny smile. "Are you comfortable with that?"

Strikedramon swallowed slightly, swiping his tongue over his lips. "Y-yeah, yeah. I am."

Ken kissed the dragon's neck a few more times, pressing his lips full and soft there. "All right..."

Strikedramon swallowed dryly a second time, nodding his head as he lifted it off Ken's shoulder. "Okay, then..." He flexed his three-fingered hands a bit, as if trying to figure out what to do with them, before he laughed a bit nervously. "You'll need to guide me again, Ken."

The boy blushed. "You... You want to get down there, right?"

"Y-yeah," Strikedramon said with a small nod.

"I think... under these circumstances... I'll do the initial steps," Ken offered. "But... Lay me down." Strikedramon wasn't really sure what the boy meant by that but he nodded, slowly getting up from his sitting position with Ken in his arms. He then turned around and laid him down, letting him prop his shoulders up against the tree the Digimon had previously been leaning on. Ken laughed gently when he saw the confusion on the Digimon's face. "I don't want a giant rip in my pants," he said. Human fingers then undid the button and zipper on his own pants, pulling the down and off. Ken was then left in his light blue colored boxers. "Wh-What do you want to... to see next?" Strikedramon breathed for a few moments as even without eyes it was quite obvious he was staring. He slowly got onto his hands and knees. He must have looked rather intimidating, looming over the much smaller human like that. A passer-by might've thought Ken was about to become lunch. But Strikedramon then leaned down and instead gently slid his hand under Ken's shirt, trying his best not to catch his claws in the fabric. He slid it up so it was bunched up around the boy's neck and started to gently flick his tongue over the pink buds on Ken's chest. Ken gasped softly. It seemed Ryo really had learned from their last couple of times together. He turned his cheek into his shoulder, almost trying to hide the blush there. There were hints of fear and excitement running through Ken's veins, both of which made him take to heavy breathing, causing his tender chest to expand against Strikedramon's jaw. Strikedramon could sense that fear, but he understood it. He was a little scared of himself, truthfully. He just told himself he'd have to be especially careful. He moved his huge hand off of Ken's chest, resting it on the ground next to him as his tongue continued to play with the sensitive spot. He could move it so quickly and expertly, in fact, that he managed to switch between the two nubs one after the other without even moving his head. "Ah! Ahh!" Ken grabbed the choker again. He seemed to favor its stability over anything else. The way Strikedramon paid such acute attention to his needs was amazing. "A-Are you sure you... you haven't d-done this be-before?"

Strikedramon tensed a bit taking a minute to get used to having the choker pulled on before he continued. "I swear I haven't," he promised between flicks of his tongue, lightly running the palm of his large hand down the rest of Ken's torso.

The boy whined and arched against the large hand. "B-Because you're very... very good, Ryo..."

That red blush managed to leak out from beneath Strikedramon's helmet again. "I-I hope I'm just as good when I'm human again."

"When you're human again... Wait, Ryo... Wait."

Strikedramon stopped, pulling his head up in confusion. "Wh-what?"

"I... This isn't right," Ken said. "I mean, it's not wrong, but... This isn't the right time. The right way. So far it's been great. Neither one of us has to give up or be left out, but... We're not equal in this. I want that for us. You should be able to kiss me and use your fingers and not have to worry about hurting me. I should get to see your eyes and feel your lips and touch you where I want."

Strikedramon was quiet for a few moments. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, with his covered face and his tail laying a bit lifelessly on the ground aside from the occasional twitch. But after Ken finished speaking, he started to nod slowly. He let out a long breath, perhaps a bit dissapointed, but still nodded. "You're right," he said, leaning down and giving Ken one last kiss on his cheek before he pulled back, and offered a hand to help the boy up.

"Ryo, we still have the rest of the night," the boy said, "and we don't have to stop completely. Here..." Ken touched his upper belly. "I've got a soft spot right here, so..." He reached up and guided Strikedramon's head downward so the Digimon's head was resting on that spot. "We'll keep each other warm. Let's just be together, all right? I still really like this, don't you?" Ken then started to gently stroke the metal helmet, knowing the Digimon liked it. "Just like this..."

Strikedramon seemed a bit surprised at first, but then his lips curled into a toothy smile. "Yeah, alright." The Digimon moved so he could curl around Ken, laying his head on his stomach, stretching one arm around his back and laying the other across his legs.

Ken smiled and hummed happily. "Good night, Ryo. Thank you."

"Good night, Ken," Strikedramon returned quietly, shifting a bit to get comfortable before allowing himself to relax to fall to sleep.

When the morning came, Strikedramon suddenly woke to a sound he heard in the distance, lifting his head up and listening. His tail waved about a bit as he looked around, and he then used one of his hands to shake Ken's shoulder gently. "Ken... Ken, wake up."

Ken whined softly and rolled onto his side towards Strikedramon. "What? What's..." he yawned, "happening?"

"I hear a train," Strikedramon answered quietly. "Back by the tracks, I think it might have just stopped."

"A train?" Ken mumbled. Only a few seconds passed before he gasped and shot up, hair humorsouly dishevled. "A train! Wormmon! Where's Wormmon?"

"Probably back at the campsite," Strikedramon answered, putting a huge hand over his mouth to keep himself from snickering.

Indigo eyes looked up at the dragon. "What? What is it? Did I drool?" Ken asked as he tried to wipe his face.

"No, it's just your hair..." Strikedramon answered, laughing a bit as he reached over and smoothed it down a bit with the soft palm of his hands, purposefully arching his fingers back so his claws didn't touch Ken's head.

Ken blushed. "Damn bedhead," he mumbled. "Oh, the train!" He was on his feet in a flash and rushing back towards the campsite. "Wormmon! Wormmon!"

Like Strikedramon had predicted, Wormmon was still at the campsite, curled up by the long-dead fire. He awoke when Ken called his name. "Good morning, Ken!" he gasped, quickly bustling over to his boy. "Where did you go last night?"

"O-Oh! Ryo... Ryo wanted to show me these trees. They were really neat, actually. Apparently they channel into the real world." Ken scooped his little Digimon up. "I saw the Arc de Triomphe!"

"I see," Wormmon said, nodding.

Strikedramon passed them, a bit of hurry in his step. "C'mon, guys, we have to get back to the tracks."

"Oh yeah!" Ken clutched Wormmon to his chest and sprinted forward. "Keep up, Ryo!" he called over his shoulder.

Strikedramon just smirked, and took off like a shot towards the tracks. Wormmon's eyes went wide at how fast he could run, and it wasn't long before he'd vanished into the trees. But when they finally caught up to him, he'd come to an immediate stop in front of the train. Sitting there, on the tracks, was a large black Trailmon. He had big red spots on his side that might've been eyes, but they didn't blink or move to indicate that, and gold markings. "Ah," he said, speaking in a low, drawling voice. "So we meet again."

Ken slowed when he got to the tracks. He was about to call Strikedramon and show-off, but then the Trailmon spoke. Ken blinked. "I'm sorry, Dave," he said, very monotone.

Strikedramon and Wormmon both looked over at Ken with an odd expression. The larger of the two then turned back to the Trailmon. "DarkTrailmon," he said, addressing him with an unreadable tone to his voice. "What brings you here?"

"This forest felt rather dour," the black Trailmon answered.

Ken rolled his eyes. Figured no one would get it. "How can a forest feel dour?" he asked.

"Anything can feel dour," DarkTrailmon answered. "If the people within it are that way."

Now Ken frowned. "I didn't think we were really... that bad. Ryo," he began, looking up at the Digimon, "is it because of what I said?"

"Probably..." Strikedramon said, shrugging his shoulders a bit.

"I come for a myriad of reasons," DarkTrailmon drawled. "How about I give you guys a ride? How does the human world sound?"

"Oh..." Ken looked down. "I'm... I'm sorry, Ryo. I didn't mean to disappoint you. Wait... Human world? If only we could..."

"No," Strikedramon said, shaking his head. "The human world the Trailmon rails connect to is not our dimension. I've been there."

Ken thought for a moment. "Where Rika lives."

"No," Strikedramon said, shaking his head again. "Not even that real world. Another one entirely."

"Wh-What? Another one?" Utter confusion was spelled out across the boy's face. "Just how many other dimensions are there?"

"So far, not including the Digital World, I've been to five," Strikedramon murmured. "Not to mention pocket dimensions. And I'm sure there's many more."

Ken stood there gaping at Strikedramon. "Impossible."

"Very possible," Strikedramon said.

"I don't meant to interrupt," DarkTrailmon said at length, "But is there anywhere at all you need to be going? Because I get that feeling..."

"Yes, yes there is," Strikedramon answered. "We need to go to the ocean, near the landbridge leading to the Continent of Darkness."

"The Continent of Darkness, huh," DarkTrailmon hummed. "Now why would you want to go back there?"

"Back there?" Ken shook his head. This wasn't the time for questions. "It's the only way we can get to the Macro Sea," Ken explained. "We have to get to the land on the other side."

"I see," DarkTrailmon said flatly. Suddenly, all of his doors swung open. "All aboard, then."

Ken climbed onto the train Digimon, still clutching Wormmon closely. "He kind of gives me the creeps," the boy whispered, looking at the dreary decorum.

"Yeah, well, that's his namesake," Strikedramon said as he filed in after Ken. The doors closed as soon as Strikedramon's tail was inside, and the train rumbled slowly into motion as they sat down.

"Ryo, I..." he paused when he didn't know where to start. Ken didn't know whether to apologize again or ask questions. In the end he decided his friend's feelings were more important. "Ryo, about last night, I am sorry. I didn't mean to stop you so suddenly."

"It's fine, Ken," Strikedramon said, looking a bit odd as he sat upright on the upholstered bench. He had to duck his head a little to keep it from hitting the luggage rack.

Ken bit his lip. "Are you sure? You seem a bit... upset..."

"It's not about that, Ken," Strikedramon murmured as he slouched back in his seat. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me. Concentrate on what might happen when we get to the ocean. We could find another officer there."

"Ryo, please talk to me. If I've learned anything from my time with Davis, it's that sharing can help you feel better." Ken held one of the large claws in his hand. "Does it have to do with that Dark Trailmon said? That you'll be going back to the Continent of Darkness?"

"I probably started to tell you about this, Ken," Strikedramon started. "But while I was on this continent, I went looking for the origins of the Digital World. I wanted to know. The Continent of Darkness was one of the many stops on my trip, that's all. And after I got off it, I told DarkTrailmon I never wanted to go back. He even took me to the human world... but that's when I discovered it wasn't our world."

The boy squeezed the claw gently. "We could have tried finding a different way, Ryo..."

"Looking back on it, going to a place called 'The Continent of Darkness' was a bad idea in the first place," Strikedramon said with a weak laugh. He then looked at Ken and shook his head. "This way is quickest, and we're not even actually going to set foot on the continent. It'll be fine."

Ken nodded. "Maybe that's why I'm not feeling well," he pondered aloud. Ken looked up and offered a smile. "In and out really quickly, though, right?"

"Not even in," Strikedramon said with a small laugh. "We'll stay on the opposite shore."

Ken laughed as well. "You know what I mean."

"Yes, I know what you mean," Strikedramon laughed, leaning back even more, getting comfortable. Wormmon did the same, curling up in Ken's lap. He wasn't sleepy, since they had just woken up after all, but he could tell by Strikedramon's posture that this was going to be a long trip. Ken could have fallen asleep, but really, he wasn't about to allow himself to do so. Sure he was still tired, but only because of the bad dreams. Bad dreams he would continue to have should he close his eyes now. The boy was figuring out that their increasing proximity to this foreboding continent was the source. He also knew it was the reason for his head aches and strange mood swings, but Ken wasn't about to say a word to anyone. Ken decided he could handle it. There was no reason to worry the other, especially since Ryo was all ready carrying his own baggage with the place. As long as they didn't set actual foot in the place, he believed he'd be fine.

After a few hours of the train ride, Strikedramon suddenly stood up and started to pace. Spending all of that time sitting down wouldn't have flown even if he was still in his regular body- he just couldn't deal with being so inactive all of the time. So, he simply began to pace to keep himself busy. Wormmon watched him with idle interest as he went from one end of the car to the other, and kept it up for quite a while. Ken watched this as well, only with more concern than idle interest. He could not risk Strikedramon going stir crazy in such a small space. What could he do, though? Sparring didn't seem like a good idea. Attacks could hurt the Trailmon, not to mention potentially get them kicked off. Maybe a game? What did Ken know about playing, though. What would Davis do? That's when Ken set Wormmon on the seat beside him. He waited for Strikedramon to turn his back, then the boy bounced with a laugh. "Ninja!" he cried and wrapped himself around the large Digimon's shoulders. Strikedramon cried out in surprise, nearly stumbling forward when there was a sudden weight put on his back. Wormmon gasped, but luckily enough, Strikedramon seemed to take it well, as he started to laugh once he realized that he now had Ken dangling off his shoulders. "I am a noble Shinobi from the village behind the falls," Ken declared. "You stand no chance again my... Tickle Attack of Tyranny!" Just as he said this, Ken used one hand to reach up under Strikedramon's arm, fingers dancing deep under the shadow of the armor.

The rumbling growl of a laugh burst again out of Strikedramon's lips, this time with much more force. He collapsed onto his knees after just a few minutes, managing to bark out between laughs, "No fair, I can't fight back with claws!"

"As I knew you could not!" Ken exclaimed proudly. "An expert Shinobi is always aware of his opponents weaknesses first before attacking! You shall fall to my power, mighty dragon!"

It took everything in Strikedramon's power not to roll over onto his back to laugh upon the floor, for Ken's sake. Instead he leaned forward and smacked his palms against the floor, steel-tipped tail thumping on the ground almost like a dog's tail. Eventually, DarkTrailmon's voice drawled over Strikedramon's rumbling laughter. "Careful back there, that smarts a bit..."

Ken gasped and drew his hand back, joining it with the other for a secure grip. "Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry," he said up at the ceiling, like that's where the Digimon's ears were. Then Ken looked back down at the dragon. "Do you admit defeat?"

"Yes, yes, I admit defeat..." Strikedramon gasped, quickly trying to get his breath back. "But I swear I'll get my revenge once I have fingers," he warned with a smirk. "Mark my words."

"Duley noted," he replied. "Dark Trailmon, do you have a dining car?" Ken asked of the Digimon they were riding inside of.

"No, I don't," DarkTrailmon answered. "We may look like trains, but we aren't, really. No Digimon will staff a Trailmon."

Ken pouted. "Darn, I was hoping for some breakfast."

"I can catch us something once we get to the ocean," Strikedramon offered. "We're going to have to fast until we arrive."

"Fast?" Ken repeated. "It's not a spiritual pilgrimmage, Ryo, call it what it is. Being hungry."

Strikedramon laughed gently. "I always liked to think of not eating in the Digital World as fasting, like it had a purpose. I could go months without food in this place, and fasting sounds a lot nicer than 'starving yourself.'"

Ken pondered this. "If it's so easy to go without food, then why do I get hungry?"

"It's not easy," Strikedramon said with a shake of his head. "You still will get hungry. But I eventually found that even though I was hungry, I never got very weak from hunger. There was the occasional slip-up, but nothing major. So when there was no food to be had, it wasn't hard to go on without it."

"I see..." Ken carefully slid down off Strikedramon's back and onto the floor. "My mom would never approve of that. She's always baking cookied and making sandwiches for me. I scared her once, so she always makes sure there's food in the house. I tell her it's fine now, but, well... My mom isn't so easily convinced."

"I don't think my mom would've approved either," Strikedramon agreed. "But that's life. Sometimes you need to roll with the punches in the Digital World, odd though they may be."

"Yeah, that's true." Ken looked out the window from his place on the floor. He watched as the sky began to turn dismal, grey clouds gathering in a pale sky. The foliage still looked lush enough, but he knew eventually it too would start to become sparse and wither. Ken felt a weight grow in his chest. "Ryo... Did you ever try to end your life?"

Strikedramon looked a bit taken aback by the question. His mouth hung open for a moment and his tail wavered back and forth, like it couldn't decide which side to hang towards. "Why do you ask that, Ken?"

"Just with everything you went through," Ken said, eyes fixed on the darkening sky. "Did you ever just feel like ending it all?"

Strikedramon's gaze followed Ken's, head turning to look out the window as well. "There were times," he admitted quietly. "But I knew it wouldn't do any good."

Ken was about to ask why, but then he remembered Ryo and Millenniummon's special bond. "Oh, right... So you never tried, then."

"Of course I did," Strikedramon murmured. "How do you think I figured out that I could not eat, and yet not die?"

Ken was quiet as the realization came over him. So, that probably meant Ken really couldn't get away with not eating. Of course, that hadn't even been a problem yet. "It is one of the easier methods, isn't it? You hardly feel anything after a while."

"I suppose." Strikedramon nodded to himself a few times before he chose to continue. "There was a time, before I understood my link with Millenniummon, that I took it upon myself to test the extent of what I could get away with in this world without dying. After each attempt, I realized that there was nothing that would end it. I almost felt like I was being forced to survive." His tail finally picked a direction, slumping to the left and then coming to fall gently to the floor. "The Digimon eventually became worried about me. I don't blame them... and then finally, I realized the real reason I could not die. I didn't want to believe it at first, but Millenniummon sought to prove it by trapping me in an explosion. And yet, here I am."

Pale hands reached forward to pick up the metal tip of Strikedramon's tail and run his fingers over it. "What all did you try?" Ken asked. "Tell me about them, Ryo. I want to know. What were your attempts, exactly?"

"You don't want to hear about that," Strikedramon said with a sad-sounding laugh. "It's too depressing."

"I started by not eating," Ken admitted without hesitation. "I cut my neck with scissors once, too."

"You?" Strikedramon murmured. At first he looked surprised, but then he just sighed gently. "It's been hard for both of us."

The boy went on. "I forced myself under the water in the bathtub one night." His voice was a bit dead. "Another time, I swallowed a bunch of sleeping pills."

"Ken..." Strikedramon murmured, now turning his head to look at the other boy. "That's in the past now, isn't it?"

"Last year, I tried to hang myself, but the ceiling fan couldn't hold me up. My parents took the door off my room for a while." Ken's finger's moved from the metal tip to brushing along purple scales. "A few months ago... I almost stepped in front of a train, but someone grabbed me."

"Ken..." A few months ago? "Still? But why?"

"I have days," the boy answered. "I have days when the pain gets so bad that even breathing hurts. The loneliness creeps in and I have to stop it. I'm reminded of how poisoned I am." Ken lowered his head, causing the hair to fall away from his neck. There, where the angry red scar took residence on the back of his neck, were new black veins creeping up his scalp, along his shoulders, and down his back. "As good as my life gets, he'll always be there. He... who makes my limbs feel like ice when I'm sad... Who throws me into random tantrums which hurt people's feelings... Who makes me feel like I'll never be a good son or friend."

Strikedramon's tail twitched slightly as a toothy frown spread across his muzzle. "Is that the reason..." he murmured. "Our problems are from the same root... but they are very different, aren't they."

Ken shook his head. "I'm sure yours are worse," he insisted. "You just aren't as weak and selfish as I am."

"If anything, I think I'm the selfish one," Strikedramon said. "The things that make you upset... it's how you act towards others. You feel guilty. I just want to get out of the fate I've been given."

"If only we could be Romeo and Juliet," Ken murmured.

The large dragon man let out a breath. "No, I've since lost that mindset." He stood himself up to sit on the cushioned seats again. "I need to take better care of myself now, and so do you," he said, reaching his hand towards Ken to pick him up, too. "While I'm merged with my Digimon, I'm mortal. But I'm not going to take you with me. If I go, it will be because I have to." The moment Strikedramon lifted Ken up, the boy latched like a child held onto their mother. He turned his head and rest it on the Digimon's shoulder with his arms wrapped around broad shoulders. Ken was like this for a long while. Outside, the scenery was beginning to change again. With the sky being so foreboding, bleak, and dark, the plants in the area weren't as lush or plentiful. The grass turned yellow with patched of barren hard dirt. The tree were losing their leaves. The bushes were growing thorny. Also, the farther along they travled saw the darkening of Ken's scar as the veins began to spread.


	19. Poisoned Land

Strikedramon's huge hand pet down Ken's hair, and he turned his neck down to observe the scar. He frowned slightly, and then looked over his shoulder. He jumped when he saw the scenery. "Stop!" he suddenly shouted and braced himself so he didn't stumble when DarkTrailmon suddenly jerked to a halt.

"What is it?" he droned.

"Did we already cross over onto the Continent of Darkness?" Strikedramon gasped.

"We might have. Why?"

"We weren't supposed to go over! We were supposed to stop just before it!"

"Ryo?" Ken looked up at the dragon man. Once inky indigo eyes were now dark charcoal grey, and the black veins now coiled like tendrils around the front of his neck, reaching up under the boy's jaw and down his chest. "Ryo, I don't feel well. When will we reach the water?"

"It looks like we already have," Strikedramon growled. He looked over at Wormmon and offered his tail, and the small Digimon quickly latched on. Strikedramon then moved his arms behind his back and crouched down slightly. "Ken, get on my back."

Ken stared blankly for a minute before nodding. "Okay..." The boy got onto the Digimon's back, allowing the strong arms to hook behind his knees while his own arms held carefully around the scaly neck.

Strikedramon then took off towards the train's doors. DarkTrailmon opened them just before he went bursting through, and as soon as his claws hit the ground, Strikedramon knew they'd gone too far. The darkening sky and thick forest of dead foliage told him that. He quickly scanned the sky for where the clouds began to part, where they had come from, and took off, back towards the continent they had left, and the sea that had been their destination. "Perhaps I shouldn't have gone past the end of the line..." DarkTrailmon mused quietly, before starting up again and slowly heading in the opposite direction, deeper into the continent Strikedramon was now trying to flee.

"It feels sad and cold here, Ryo," Ken said from his place on the Digimon's back. Dark eyes observed the area around them and he frowned. They had ridden DarkTrailmon for quite a few hours, but Ken couldn't tell if it was night again already or not. "Where... Where are we? This isn't right..."

"He went a bit past our desired destination," Strikedramon growled. "I should've been paying attention... But I'll get us back to the ocean."

Ken didn't like how he wasn't getting an answer. Was this the Continent of Darkness? That would explain the familiar sour sensations Ken was having. "I distracted you..." the boy said guiltily.

"No, it's alright," Strikedramon said, shaking his head. "It's fine. We'll get back soon and everything will be alright."

"Everything will be alright." Suddenly, Ryo's voice echoed from the trees around them.

Ken gasped and clasped his hand around Strikedramon tightly. "What on earth was that?" he asked nervously.

"Relax. They're just Pipismon," Strikedramon murmured. "They're harmless."

"They're harmless!" imitated the voice.

The boy whimpered. "If we're where I think we are, then I have a hard time believing anything is harmless."

"It may be a place of darkness... But not everything here is bad."

"Not everything here is bad!" echoed his voice, now several voices, like a chorus.

"Some Digimon are pure, but... prefer darkness."

"Prefer darkness!"

Ken whimpered again and buried his face in Strikedramon's hair. Harmless they may be, he wasn't comfortable hearing so many somethings he couldn't see in such a dark and dreary place.

Feeling that, Strikedramon suddenly came to a stop. He adjusted his grip on Ken, but then murmured, "Ken, can you hold on without my arms holding you?"

"Um, I... I guess so," Ken replied. "I mean, I could try. Why?"

"I'm going to see if I can get us back faster," Strikedramon responded. "Now, hold on."

Ken nodded. He adjusted his arms and wrapped his legs around Strikedramon's chest. Before they took off again, Ken checked over his shoulder and smiled when he saw that Wormmon had secured himself with his own webbing. "We're ready."

"Hold on!" The Pipismon echoed from the trees, as Strikedramon got down onto all fours and took off. Surprisingly, he was rather coordinated on four feet, and moved a lot quicker.

Ken gasped softly, but then he smiled again. "Wow, Ryo..." Strikedramon sped across the continent, keeping close to the tracks and the path they'd carved through the otherwise forested land. He traveled for a long time without even stumbling, dashing across the Dark Continent at high speed, but eventually, he started to slow down. There was only so far he could sprint. Breathing heavily, he turned his head up to look at the dark, dismal clouds overhead. He could see the small speck of blue that was the sky over the ocean, but it was still a ways away. Still, the Digimon grunted and tried to break back into a run, despite the fact that he was growing tired. "Ryo." The boy spoke up for the first time since the dragon had taken off into the run. "Ryo, you're tired. We should stop. If you expend too much energy, you might devolve. That's the last thing we need." Of course the last thing Ken wanted to do was spend the night on the Dark Continent, but they were running out of choices. "I'm sure you could walk for a while longer, but don't run anymore."

Strikedramon grunted as his response, refusing to give up. "We're so close!" he insisted through grit teeth.

"Not really," Ken said quietly. "C'mon, Ryo, is this you or Cyberdramon talking?"

"I just..." Strikedramon finally came to a stop, bowing his head as he tried to catch his breath. "I just don't want us to stop and rest here. I thought I could get us back..."

"You tried, Ryo. You tried your best and it was a valiant effort." Ken spoke encouragingly while patting the metal mask. Indigo eyes widened when he saw the black veins that had made their way onto his hands and immediately pulled it back to hide. "I know you don't like it here. I don't either, but we can't wreck ourselves trying to get out. What good will that do?"

Strikedramon looked to the side, and with a small, defeated sigh, carried them in towards the trees to find a place to rest. "Let's just rest," he said quietly. "I'm getting us out of here before nightfall... but we can take a quick rest."

Ken frowned, but he still nodded. "Did something bad happen to you here?"

"This place... is actually not evil," Strikedramon murmured, as he started to weave through the dark forest, stepping over gnarled roots and thorny plants. "It looks like it, but... It's actually full of mostly Data Digimon, and ever since the ruler of this continent was purified, it's been fine, but... it was thrown into turmoil for a while, when he was first defeated and before he was reborn. I came here looking for answers and got lost for a long time."

"I see..." Ken hummed. Again he looked at his hand and swallowed. "Maybe we shouldn't be wandering so far from the tracks, then," he suggested. "You never know what could still be lingering about. You know... stains and the like."

Strikedramon nodded and came to a stop. They were in a small clearing, the tracks still visible through a gap in the trees. He then bent his arms and legs to let Ken off of his back. "I haven't been here since then, so the only things I know about how it is now is what I've heard from others. They say Cherubimon is slowly cleaning the continent up, but it still has this... air about it."

The boy nodded. "Yeah... Yeah, I know." Ken had felt it since the tracks crossed the border. The poison and the remains of a once evil kingdom were leaking under his skin. He got off the large Digimon and retrieved his little insect companion. "Impressive grip, Wormmon."

Wormmon let out a long, relieved breath. "I was starting to get a little dizzy," he admitted, holding his head.

Ken laughed gently. "We're going to let Ryo rest for a while. He's quite adamant about getting us off the continent, but he can't do it all in one go. I told him to break."

Wormmon nodded. "Yes, I heard, and I agree," he warbled. Strikedramon spun around in a circle a few times before settling amongst the raised roots of one of the trees in the clearing.

Another laugh escaped Ken at the sight of this. "He's like a big cat," Ken whispered to Wormmon.

"I can hear you," Strikedramon announced as he placed his head on his crossed hands, which made Wormmon cover his mouth and snicker.

"I think it's cute," Ken cooed playfully to the big purple and white dragon man. Strikedramon's tail flicked back and forth a few times, and he opened his mouth to answer, but he suddenly lifted his head and started to sniff at the air. Ken hid his stained hands behind his back, not realizing the poison pattern was already on his neck and jaw too. "Wh-What? What is it?" he asked, hoping it wasn't himself Strikedramon was smelling.

"I smell Virus Digimon," Strikedramon growled.

"Ken..." Even if Strikedramon hadn't noticed, Wormmon certainly had.

The human swallowed nervously. "Ryo, c-can't you just... let it go?" Strikedramon didn't respond. Instead, he sat up on his haunches, still sniffing at the air. He put his hands on the tree behind him and lifted himself up, inspecting the lowest branches. He started to pace around the tree on all fours, intent on the scent he'd picked up. Wormmon's attention was split between the dark veins he was noticing on Ken's skin and the now pacing Strikedramon. "I think he smells me," Ken whispered almost silently to Wormmon.

"You?" Wormmon breathed. Strikedramon suddenly jumped at a tree not that far off and pulled himself up into the branches, making a flock of DemiDevimon burst into flight, shouting angrily. "Are you sure? Maybe... maybe it was just them..."

Ken sighed. "Okay... Maybe it was. I just..." Ken bit his lip. "I don't know what's happening to me right now." 

Strikedramon leapt down from the tree once the DemiDevimon had been scared off, but continued to sniff around on the ground, seemingly still following a scent. "Is it the Dark Spore?" Wormmon asked carefully, only to freeze when the words were caught by Strikedramon, whose head jerked up.

Indigo eyes swept up to look at the dragon. "Good... Good job scaring those DemiDevimon away, Ryo!"

Strikedramon started to advance, a growl starting up again in his throat. "Ken..." Wormmon murmured, eyes starting to widen. "Ken, let's get out of here! He might attack!"

Ken complied by grabbing Wormmon up in his arms and scrambling to his feet. Doing his best to navigate back the way they came, Ken dodged all sorts of gnarled roots, branches, and thorny vines. He could hear Strikedramon charging behind them and it made his heart hammer in his chest. "Ryo, don't!"

Wormmon's eyes were wide as he looked over Ken's shoulder and saw the huge Digimon chasing them on his quick four feet. Seemed even the ache his muscles had been burning with was overridden by his instinct to take out Virus-type Digimon. "Ken, your Digivice!" Wormmon gasped, antenna perking upright when it saw that it was starting to glow.

Looking down at his Digivice, Ken bit his lip. Again it was offering its services. Ken didn't want to, but once more, Ryo was not giving him a choice. Setting Wormmon on his shoulder allowed Ken to grab his Digivice, allow the data to pass through the prick in his skin, and then snapped his fingers to create the whip. "Stop!" he commanded firmly and snapped the leather clear across Strikedramon's mask. Wormmon flinched and frowned when the whip appeared. He was hoping the white light of evolution would grant him the power to protect his partner, but it was only glowing that terrible red. Why? Hadn't they fixed this with Piximon? Strikedramon skid to a stop when the weapon hit his face, jumping backwards suddenly. Ken was breathing heavily as he came to his own stop. He turned to face the dragon man, glaring at him in both fear and anger. "What did I tell you about Wormmon? You are not to attack him!" Strikedramon let out a deafening roar, and Wormmon jumped when he heard it. He didn't even know Strikedramon was capable of roaring. It seemed so... animalistic. "Silence!" Ken screamed in reply and snapped his whip again, making contact. "Now stand up! I said stand up!" A much smaller sound came from between Strikedramon's lips when the whip hit a second time. He hesitated, but then slowly rose up out of the brush, standing on his back legs again. Ken cracked the whip against the ground near Strikedramon's feet for good measure. "Now what the hell has gotten into you?"

Strikedramon just growled for a few moments, but his lips eventually formed words again. "I smell it," he answered.

A hand was placed arrogantly on his hip. "You smell what, exactly?"

"Corruption," Strikedramon growled, taking a step out of the underbrush.

The whip struck to keep the Digimon at bay. "Oh. Oh. Oh! And that just makes it okay for you to charge at me. Is that it? You don't like the way I smell and that gives you permission to rip my face off. Really? Is that really what you think?"

"Yes," Strikedramon hissed, though he froze in his advances. "That is what I think."

"Well like hell you can!" Ken screamed angrily. "You ignorant beasts just stomp around with all your powers and teeth and claws and big fat heads! You parade around and think that just because you're bigger you can do whatever the hell you want with me. Is that it? Well guess what? You fucking can't!" He whipped Strikedramon's right arm. "I could have you groveling at my feet and calling me master, you desert slime! Don't forget that!"

"Ken..." Wormmon warbled worriedly, as he watched Strikedramon shudder and hold his own arm in his opposite hand. Ken's screaming and Strikedramon's roaring had attracted the eyes and ears of the forest. Tall blue and pink ears poked out of the leaves as yellow eyes shone through them.

"What?" Ken hissed. "What the hell do you want now?"

"We're being watched," Wormmon informed him, pointing over Ken's shoulders at the trees full of glowing eyes on the opposite side of the track.

Ken turned to look, but he just narrowed his own eyes at them. "Filthy rats with wings," he spat at them. "What are you looking at?"

"What are you looking at?" Several voices said back, tall ears twitching.

"Don't play games with me," Ken shouted. "And don't you even think about it!" he growled, brandishing a finger at Strikedramon having heard of his large reptilian feet brush against a pebble. "You don't want to mess with me!" Ken shouted at the Pipismon and cracked the whip. "You little shits want to start something, you better be ready to finish it!"

"You better be ready to finish it!" The Pipismon all mimicked Ken's voice perfectly, making it sound like there were dozens of copies of him shouting from the trees. A few of them peered their heads out at Ken. They had furry blue and white faces, and huge mouths that gaped open, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth. "Ready to finish it!"

That's when Ken seemed to snap out of his rage. His grip loosened on the whip but didn't drop it. "Oh..." he said shakily.

Wormmon looked over at his partner, concern still obvious on his face. "Oh?"

"Th-They look scary..."

"Ryo said they were harmless," Wormmon reminded him, though it sounded a bit more like he was attempting to convince himself.

"Harmless!" the Pipismon echoed in Wormmon's voice. Their mouths didn't move, simply gaped open and projected the voice back like a megaphone.

"Do you think they choose to echo certain words?" Ken asked. "Or is it just the last thing we say?" An answer might bring comfort since the Pipismon had been threatening one moment, but now seemed to insist they wouldn't attack.

"Last thing we say!" the Pipismon repeated.

"That still doesn't comfort me..." Wormmon admitted quietly.

Suddenly, one of the Pipismon launched out of the branches. Two huge, red, bat-like wings emerged from beneath a thick ruff of white fur around its neck, and they lifted it out of the tree, revealing that all four of its legs and its tail all ended in hooked scythes. "Sky Jacker!" it caterwauled, swooping down towards them. Wormmon put his claws over his head, but when he realized they hadn't been hit, looked over his shoulder only to spy the Pipismon attacking Strikedramon, who had been slowly getting closer to them from behind.

Ken spun on his heels and gasped. "No! No, leave him alone!" the boy shouted and tried to swat at the bat Digimon. "I had him under control!"

"Under control!" The Pipismon squeaked, lifting itself up a bit to evade Ken's hand.

Strikedramon growled, flinching when he realized his arms were now covered in gashes from the other Digimon's sharp feet. "Striking Barrage!" Strikedramon roared, suddenly bursting into blue flames, making everyone jump back, and sending a well-aimed punch up at the bat-like Digimon hovering above him. The Digimon let out a cry and burst into pixels, which fell into the consuming fire.

Ken cried out in horror. "Ryo! Ryo, stop! Ryo!"

All of the Pipismon suddenly rose from the trees when they saw that. They swooped down upon their burning foe with a chorus of "Sky Jacker!" Strikedramon's barrage continued, even as the Pipismon quickly closed in on him, hiding the blue flames behind a dome of squealing and screeching wings and fur. The fire slowly began to break through, Pipismon yelling out in pain as they were consumed by it. The remaining Pipismon, sensing their loss, all pulled back and let out a final attack. "Crazy Sonic Blaster!" A sound wave attack came from their mouths all at once, and the fire went dead as soon as it hit the Digimon inside. Strikedramon fell to his knees, huge hands clamped over where his ears might've been.

That's when Ken's Digivice finally lit up white. "Wormmon Digivolve to... Stingmon!" Stingmon jumped into the fray, if only in time to get the last of the Pipismon off of the now shaking Strikedramon, shooting at them as he shouted, "Moon Shooter!"

Once the chaos seemed to die down a little, Ken threw the whip to the ground, forcing it to pixilate and absorb back into his Digivice. "Stingmon, you did it!" he said happily and ran up to them. "Are you okay, Ryo?" Ken asked gently and touched the back of a large hand. "They're gone now..."

Strikedramon just flinched, still shaking and holding his head. "That attack was meant to temporarily destroy his senses," Stingmon said, still pointing his shooter at the sky, making sure the Pipismon didn't attempt to come back.

Ken just nodded. He helped Strikedramon to sit down and whispered hushed words while petting the two-toned hair. "They attacked for no reason," the boy mumbled. "Now look what they did."

"On the bright side, he probably can't smell right now," Stingmon offered, though it wasn't much of a condolence. In reality, he was just happy that Ken seemed to be acting normally again.

"Stingmon, how hard would it be for you to carry him?" Ken asked.

"I don't know about this form..." Stingmon murmured. "I know you don't quite trust my flying skills, but Quetzalmon would probably be better."

Ken shook his head. "Ryo wouldn't be able to hold on." He sighed and thought for a moment. "Maybe we should just camp by the tracks here..."

"What if you slung him over Bullmon's back?" Stingmon suggested, still scanning the sky. "I don't want to try stopping here again. We weren't even resting for two minutes before something went wrong."

"True..." Ken hummed. "All right." Pulling out his D-Terminal and selecting the necessary egg, Stingmon transformed into Bullmon. Ken helped to sling the dragon over the bovine's back and they started along the tracks.

Though Bullmon would've liked to run, Strikedramon was heavy and it was enough just to make sure he wasn't dragging the large body along the ground. Even though Strikedramon wasn't passed out, he was just staring at the ground, seemingly not hearing, seeing, smelling, or even feeling anything. He might as well have been unconscious. "No wonder he doesn't like it here..." Bullmon sighed.

"It's pretty crappy," Ken agreed. The boy lifted his shirt curiously and his eyes widened. His entire chest and stomach had been patterned in the toxic black tendrils. "It's not doing either of us any favors, that's for sure."

Bullmon's eyes widened as well. "Ken, what... what do you think that is?"

Ken shook his head. "It's spreading from my neck. I can feel it now... this pulsing. This place is poisoning my system. I always knew I should avoid Dark places. Ryo said we would be stopping just before, so I didn't say anything. The longer I'm here, though..."

"Do you think it will go away if we get you out of here?" Bullmon asked, starting to sound a little frantic.

"Makes sense," he agreed. "I didn't have any of this on the other continent." Bullmon nodded his head, though worry was still all over his face. Luckily, it was hidden by his mask. What happened if the strange black veins didn't recede once they got off the continent? He wanted to ask, but he knew Ken didn't have that answer. With a small exhale, Bullmon looked at the ground, making sure his steps were even as he carried Strikedramon. Their walk together was quiet after that. Strikedramon was still in his stupor, Ken didn't want to talk about what was happening, and Bullmon was concentrating on his walking. Hours or minutes could have gone by, but Ken couldn't tell. Not with the eternal dark sky overhead. The boy could tell he was getting tired, though. He thought it was strange. All he'd been doing was a leisurely walk. Maybe the veins were making him weak. In either case, Ken didn't really have time to realize what was going on before his eyes rolled back and his body fell to the ground in a heap.

"Ken?" Bullmon jumped when his boy fell, and he was at once at his side. He wanted to do something, but he was left with hooves and a huge Digimon draped over his back. All he could do was call his boy and try nudging him with his nose. "Ken? Ken?"

Ken heard his name being called, but not by Bullmon. No, it was darker, but still familiar. Indigo eyes blinked open to see pitch black all around him in all directions. Suddenly, just a few feet in front of him, a giant screen flickered on. It was nothing but static and Ken blinked curiously at it. Before he could approach, a figure emerged from the other side. Ken recognized them in an instant and his blood ran cold. "Kaiser..."

The other boy laughed. While he was decked out all in black with the same short, wild hair, his face was a mirror image. "Glad to see you haven't forgotten me," he purred.

"How could I?" Ken hissed, surprisingly brave. "You ruined my life."

"My, my, a bit bold, are we?"

"I killed you. Whatever this is, you can't touch me here. You're just a figment of my imagination that won't let go."

The Kaiser laughed. "And why is that, do you think? You obviously can't forget me. I must be quite special to you."

"No, just a scar on my memory."

"Oh tut tut. That's no way to talk to an old friend. Perhaps I need to teach you some manners."

Ken scoffed. "You can't do anything to me."

"No..." The Kaiser grinned and snapped his fingers. "But he can..." Suddenly there was a deep rumble and the ground shook. Ken gasped as he struggled to keep his footing. The rumbles grew louder until a monstrous being passed through the static.

"Millenniummon..." the boy breathed. His tiny figure was dwarfed by the beast when it came all the way through. He remembered those red eyes and horrifying jaw. He remembered all those cold words that slipped passed leviathan lips as well. Now Ken was shaking, his resolve shattering.

"We really must thank you," the Kaiser laughed. "If you hadn't wandered onto the Dark Continent, we wouldn't have been able to feed on the viral energy still floating about there. Now, we'd love to get back into business."

Ken was helplessly knocked to the ground by Millenniummon's hand. He watched in wide-eyed terror as the monster loomed over him. A single claw was used to rip his shirt open, allowing the giant worm of a tongue to lick the boy's chest over his heart. The sensation was like burning ice. So cold it was hot. Ken screamed, but that just opened himself for the next move. The tip of Millenniummon's middle red claw teased the human's lips before pressing his tongue. Next, it began to slip further inside. Ken screamed and thrashed, but he couldn't fight or break away. Tears streamed down his face as the claw pushed down into his throat, cracking his jaw apart, threatening to rip him open from the inside. And to make matters worse, he could hear the Kaiser laughing insanely as he watched. 

Millenniummon began to laugh next. His voice shook the very ground. Before long, it sounded as if the behemoth was laughing the human's name. Ken tried to grab the half of the claw still on the outside of his body. Pain was unbearable as Millenniummon scratched the inside of his stomach roughly. The voice grew louder and louder and then... more distinct. That wasn't Millenniummon's voice at all. Only then did Ken recognize both Ryo and Bullmon calling him. He had the sensation of being wet. The pain didn't stop, however, as it felt like his intestines were being ripped apart. Ken was sure he would die here in the strange place.

Just when it seemed like everything was about to come to an end, it stopped. Indigo eyes shot open wide. Ken saw Strikedramon leaning over him with his palm on the boy's naked chest. Bullmon was there as well, nudging worriedly. Ken then became aware of the cool waves washing up around his body. And it wasn't until things became clear that Ken realized he was still screaming bloody murder.

"Ken!" Strikedramon shouted over the screaming, still splashing water up onto the boy to try and get him to snap out of whatever trance he was in. It seemed to have worked to get his eyes open, but he was still shouting about his dream. "Ken, stop! You're alright!" The screaming was abruptly cut off, but the boy wasn't silent. Ken continued to make noises like small, frantic, petrified laughter. His whole body was shaking like a leaf. The black veins had begun to recede, now only around his collarbone, shoulders, and neck. Ken's eyes were darting in all directions, looking for the monster and the ghost, but not managing to find them.

Strikedramon and Bullmon continued to peer over Ken, even though only one set of eyes was visible. Strikedramon frowned as he continued to splash the boy with water, trying to calm him down, while Bullmon murmured, "I was afraid something like this might happen..."

Not having noticed at first, Ken's eyes finally met with the clear sky overhead. "B-Blue..." he stammered.

"Yeah," Strikedramon answered in a quiet voice. "We're back on the Continent of Flame."

Ken smiled but then made some kind of squawking sound and his body trembled a bit harder, like a wave of aftershock. "Mi-M-M-Mill-Muh-llenn-neee-neee-Mill..."

"He can't touch you here," Strikedramon said, trying to sound assuring. "And those veins are vanishing. You're going to be fine, Ken."

"Wor-Wor-W-W-Wo..." Ken's struggling voice was met with a gentle nuzzle from his companion. Ken smiled again and held onto the warm brown muzzle, stroking it and rubbing his cheek to it gently.

Strikedramon leaned back, revealing that he was on his knees. He shuffled back a bit and let himself thankfully flop down onto the sand beneath them. "Now that we're back on this continent, we can finally take a proper rest." Ken got in his hands and knees, crawled unceremoniously through the shallow waves, and laid himself on top of the dragon, head on a white chest. He then waved weakly for Bullmon to come settle down beside them. Bullmon followed, coming to rest next to Ken, laying down with his legs tucked under his body and his head on top of Ken's shoulder, to keep his nose out of the shallow water. Beneath the blue sky and warm sun, the three quickly fell into a well-deserved rest.


	20. The Sea and the City

Ken was sitting on the rear of Archelomon's shell near his tail. He had his knees drawn to his chest, arms wrapped around them, and chin tucked against the caps. They'd been sailing for almost a day, but the boy hadn't said a word. A red dot blinked in a screen of blue on his D-Terminal. They were practically adrift at sea having only Ryo's intuition to guide them. While Ken had no idea what awaited them on Asuka, he knew for sure he didn't want to go back to that Dark Continent.

Strikedramon was forced to sit near the front, behind Archelomon's head- not only because he had to steer, but because there was no other space on the spiked shell big enough for him, without forcing him to dangle his feet off the side. He didn't bother Ken, as he could understand his silence after an episode with the Dark Continent like that. He only spoke to occasionally give directions to Archelomon, but most of the time he was quiet. Shamanmon had just told them to go to the ocean, but Strikedramon knew that if they crossed it, the closest continent would be Asuka. So, that was their destination.

Ken watched the ripples in the water as Archelomon stroked his flippers. It was a serene pattern that brought him a sort of comfort. He could see the shadows of fish now and then. They were relatively small and harmless except for one large shape that suddenly appeared, yet it disappeared just as quickly. Ken rubbed his eyes, wondering if he'd been staring for too long. Again the shadow appeared on their left side, vanished, and showed up again on their right. Ken was about to say something when the creature jumped up out of the water. The first thing he noticed was the huge golden anchor the Digimon carried. It wasn't until the second and third jumps that he saw the black fish tail and feminine face.

Strikedramon's attention was only caught when the splashing started. He stared for a moment, but his hair suddenly stood on end when he recognized the Digimon following them. "Archelomon, speed up!" he suddenly demanded.

"What? Why, kame?"

She swam in closer until she was side-by-side with the turtle. "What brings you boys out to the Macro Sea?" she asked with a smirk.

"Ah... um..." Strikedramon coughed, trying to make his voice sound more Cyberdramon, less Ryo. "Just... traveling..."

The fins on the side of her head twitched at the sound of his voice and her smirk grew. "Oh really? Any idea where you're going? Folks can get lost out here on the water."

"Yes, we're going to Asuka," Strikedramon responded, still with the forced gruff edge to his voice, which was making Archelomon quirk a confused brow.

Suddenly she swam right into Archelomon's path, making him stop abruptly. "Then you boy's know ya'll are goin' the wrong way."

"No we're not," Strikedramon said with a frown. "I know which way it is."

"Ha! Only one boy I know who crossed the Macro Sea with a Digimon like you!" The female fish Digimon squealed with delight and leapt right out of the water and into Strikedramon's lap. "Ryo, it's me, Mermaimon!" she laughed.

This finally caught Ken's full attention and he turned slightly to look, and then immediately frown. "What the heck?"

Strikedramon jumped when she suddenly landed in his lap. Knowing he'd been caught, he hesitated a moment before saying, "Ohhh! Mermaimon! Sorry, it's uh... hard to see with this thing on." He waved his hand in front of his helmet for emphasis.

She pouted at him. "You never came to visit me again after that magical summer we had together. Don't you remember, Ryo?" Mermaimon cooed and stroked her finger along the length of his chin. "Playing in the sand? Swimming under a full moon? Sun bathing on the rocks?"

"Sun bathing?" Ken squawked, now on his feet.

"Oh, well, it's been... You know... I've been busy," he said, holding his hands up like he was being arrested, though one briefly gestured to his body. "As you can see, uh, stuff's happened since you saw me last."

"Maybe so," she purred and pressed her hand to the inside of his leg, "but I remember your adorable human body like it was just yesterday."

"That's it!" Ken marched to the front of Archelomon's shell and glared at Mermaimon. "Can I _help_ you?" he hissed.

Her big blue eyes blinked up at the boy. "Well no, darlin', I'm just fine. Can I help you, though?"

Ken threw his hands in the air. "Just what are you doing?"

"Oh, did ya'll know?" she giggled and hung around Strikedramon's neck. "Ryo and I are bonafied sweethearts!"

"Uh, Mermaimon... ah!" Strikedramon was cut off by a squeeze to the inside of his thigh when he tried to argue otherwise. He tilted his head back to look at Ken and mouthed 'save me'.

Ken raised a brow at both of them. "Doesn't look like you need saving to me," he scoffed. "You two look just peachy together. I mean, who would I be to separate you from your girlfriend, hm? She's made it quite clear that you were close enough to be naked around her. I'm sure you've even kissed, haven't you?"

"I taught him how!" Mermaimon giggled proudly.

"Oh! Oh! That's fantastic. Perfect. Well don't let me get in the way of your little lover's reunion, here."

"Ken!" Strikedramon whined, again getting a warning squeeze that effectively shut him up.

By now Ken had crossed his arms with a huff and was ignoring the pair. Until a glint from between Mermaimon's gifted bosom caught his eye. He looked closer and gasped when he saw the gold colored pendant hanging from her neck. "My tag!" he exclaimed and pointed.

"Uah! Pardon your manners!" Mermaimon gasped and placed a dainty hand over her chest. "I'll ask you kindly ta not stare."

Strikedramon looked confusedly from Ken to Mermaimon, before he too caught sight of the gold pendant hanging around the other Digimon's neck. "Hey, Mermaimon... where did you get that necklace?"

"What, this little thing?" she asked and held it up. "I found it at the bottom of the ocean, of course," Mermaimon replied. "Some old building down there must have collapsed a few years ago. I was diggin' through the rubble and found it. It matched mah anchor and mah eyes so well," she said and made a point to flutter her lashes.

"Mermaimon... we've been looking for that for a while now," Strikedramon explained, hoping this would go smoothly.

"Oh?" was all she came back with and Ken curled his fingers like he wanted to choke her.

"Yeah, so... it'd really help us out if you'd be willing to give it to us," Strikedramon continued, trying to smile charmingly but really not knowing how it looked on his draconian face.

Mermaimon hummed thoughtfully and looked at the pendant. "I don't really know..." she began, before looking at Strikedramon and grinning. "What're ya'll willin' to do for it?"

Strikedramon swallowed dryly. That wasn't the answer he was hoping for. "Well, I mean, we don't really have anything to trade..."

"I didn't say 'give,'" she said with a sly smirk. "I said 'do.'"

Ken snapped. "You salty haired wench!" he shouted. "Stop touching my boyfriend and give me my tag!" the boy demanded and tackled her into the water.

"Ken!" Archelomon gasped, eyes going wide.

Strikedramon at once scrambled over to the edge of Archelomon's shell. "Ken, don't! She's an Ultimate level Digimon!"

The surface of the water showed no movement for nearly two minutes. The stillness was shattered when the squabbling pair surfaced in a frenzy of splashing and screaming. Ken had a fistful of Mermaimon's hair while her palm was roughly shoving into the side of his face. "Give it to me!"

"No!"

"It's mine!"

"I found it!"

Ken held onto one of her finned ears and yanked her braid loose. "You jezebel!"

"Ow! You little brat! Unhand me!" she screamed and scratched him across the nose.

Strikedramon admitted he was a bit surprised to see a catfight surface. Mermaimon wasn't even using any of her attacks, they were just smacking each other and pulling each other's hair. "Stop it, kame!" Archelomon boomed, turning towards the fight and starting to rock his body and splash his flippers, stirring up the water to try and dislodge the two.

Ken looked at his Digimon confusedly. "I'm only trying to take back what's mine!"

"No, ya'll are tryin' to steal it!" Mermaimon argued.

Ken turned his glare back on her. "Well, Ryo is _my_ boyfriend now, and you had your barnacle oiled hands all over him!"

"He was _mine first_," she hissed. "You're just a child, anyway!"

"And you're a _fish!_"

"I'm a _woman!_"

"Oh, what, because of these?" Ken grabbed her breast plate and in one good yank, the leather tore. Mermaimon cried out in embarrassment. She was forced to let go of Ken in order to cover her chest. Ken took the opportunity to snatch the tag from her neck, swim back over to Archelomon, and scramble onto his shell. "Go! Go!"

Archelomon and Strikedramon both gaped for a moment, but Archelomon took the command and sped off as fast as he could manage, using the already disrupted waters to propel himself farther.

Ken slung one arm around a spike to keep himself on the edge of the shell. At the same time, he was trying to catch his breath and retie the string on his tag. It was a little difficult as water continuously dripped from his hair into his eyes.

Strikedramon continued to stare as they slowly left Mermaimon behind, until she vanished on the horizon. Then he looked up at Ken. "I cannot believe you just tackled an Ultimate level Digimon into the water."

"Sun bathing, Ryo?"

"I wasn't naked!" Strikedramon snapped back.

"Really? Because last time I checked, that was the definition of sun bathing," Ken returned.

"You can sun bathe without being naked," he huffed, slowly moving away from the edge of the shell.

Ken coughed and tried to wipe his hair back. "Well... she's still a salty haired, barnacle handed jezebel."

Strikedramon laughed quietly as he settled back down in his spot at the helm of the shell. "If you say so, Ken."

Ken finally got his tag fixed and he slipped it over his head. Fishing around in his back pocket, the boy produced that small purple crest that bore his virtue. Carefully it was slipped inside. Perfect fit.

Strikedramon watched as Ken fiddled with the tag, until the crest was slid into it. "So... now all we have to do is wait until it activates." He smiled, tail waving as he patted Archelomon's back. "I bet your Ultimate form is going to be awesome!"

"I hope so, kame!"

The sun had just begun to drop from overheard when a giant splash disrupted the now calm ride. Ken watched as what was clearly a dolphin jumped clear over them and landed back in the water. "What was that?"

"Hopefully not another one of Ryo's girlfriends, kame," Archelomon murmured, eyes narrowing as he ducked his head under the water, trying to spot the creature that had vaulted over him.

"Hopefully," Ken mumbled in agreement.

The Digimon was currently swimming beneath Archelomon, but when it saw the turtle's face, it surfaced. "My name is Dolphmon," he said, followed by a chirp from his blowhole. He was dull blue in color with brighter blue, scratch mark-shaped stripes going down its back, a white snout and belly, and an actual scar across the top of his nose. "I was told an Archelomon and its human were making trouble. I'm the Major commanding this area, but I would really rather not have to fight anyone. Now are these accusations true?"

Archelomon and Strikedramon exchanged glances, and then looked back at the Digimon. "No, kame," Archelomon said, shaking his head.

"Who told you that?" Strikedramon asked.

"One of my Mermaimon," replied Dolphmon. "She was quite a mess when she came to me. It was obvious she'd been in a fight of some sort. I'll admit, though," he said with a sigh, "She gets herself into a lot of trouble. Her attitude could use some work."

"I wouldn't say we were 'making trouble'. _She _attacked us," Strikedramon said. Of course, his definition of 'attacked' wasn't quite accurate, but as far as he was concerned it was the truth.

"She assaulted our person by making undesired physical contact," Ken clarified.

Dolphmon squeaked and chirped thoughtfully. "Yes... She has that habit." He sighed wearily. "I never wanted to do this..."

Strikedramon seemed intrigued by how often the Dolphmon brought up his reluctance to do his job. "Then... why do you?"

"Alphamon didn't give me much of a choice," Dolphmon answered. "I'm the highest level Vaccine out here in the Macro Sea. He said I either took the role as Major, or he would take all the Data Digimon into holding. Sure, he said it would be for their own safety, but we belong in the water."

"That's awful, kame," Archelomon remarked with a frown.

"Can he really check if you're doing the job or not?" Strikedramon inquired. "What's to stop you from just... telling him you are?"

Dolphmon nodded. "Dragomon is the only Virus to swim these waters, and Alphamon took him out while he was here. I don't even know what I'm patrolling for."

"I guess we can pretty safely assume you're not really behind the war effort," Strikedramon said. "I know it's not really my place, but if you don't support it, just quit."

"You know what I like to do?" Dolphmon sighed. "I like to dig in the sand for pearls with my friends. When we find a nice big shiny one, we play catch with our flippers and tails. I miss those days."

Ken put a hand on the dragon man's shoulder. "Ryo, he's so sweet. We can't fight him," the boy whispered.

"I agree," Strikedramon said quietly. "But he's not really listening to me..."

"He's just sad and lonely," Ken explained.

"So what should we do?" Strikedramon said with a frown.

"Dolphmon?" Ken waited until the Digimon was looking at him. "My friends and I are on a mission to end the war. We don't think anyone should have to fight."

The aquatic Digimon smiled. "That's wonderful news! Oh... but I'm supposed to stop anyone who wants to get in Alphamon's way."

Ken shook his head at that. "We don't want to fight," he said again. "We want a peaceful end to the war. Don't you want to be a part of that?"

"I do hate fighting..." Dolphmon pondered aloud.

"Then you should spread a message of peace throughout the ocean instead, kame!" Archelomon said, splashing his tail excitedly. "I'm sure a lot of Digimon will gladly follow you."

Another round of excited chirps showed that Dolphmon was finally coming around. "You're right! I should!" he said. "So many of us want the war to end. We should be heard!"

Strikedramon grinned widely at the other Digimon's excitement. Finally, it seemed they'd met an officer they wouldn't have to fight with. "That's the spirit, kame!" Archelomon said, nodding.

"Thank you! Thank you, so much!" Dolphmon said before leaping over them and swimming away to share his good news.

Ken smiled as he watched the Digimon go. "That was easy."

Strikedramon laughed, his tail waving back and forth. "Wow, I wasn't expecting that to go so smoothly. Good thing, too, because Dolphmon are smart, and we're on his home turf, and if he had been aggressive we might've been in trouble." He looked up at the boy then. "We're almost at the top of the ladder."

"I know." Ken nodded. "I can only imagine how much stronger they'll be now, though."

"Well... one more Champion, and then we're up to the Ultimates..." He laughed gently, patting the place next to him to urge Ken to sit down. "Maybe you can tear their tops off, worked pretty well today."

Ken blushed as he took his seat beside Strikedramon. "That only works if they're hitting on you."

"Hopefully that won't happen again," Strikedramon breathed.

"Sorry about what I said though," Ken murmured. "That whole 'boyfriend' thing was... out of line."

"That's alright, Ken," Strikedramon said, shaking his head. "It took me by surprise, too."

Ken took to wringing his hair out off to the side. "But I mean... y'know... How do you feel about that?"

Strikedramon shook his head, breathing outward. "I'm not gonna date a Digimon. Told myself that a long time ago."

"But I'm not a..." Ken blinked and then blushed. "Ryo, I'm apologizing for me calling you my boyfriend, not Mermaimon."

"What? Oh!" Strikedramon laughed oddly, scratching behind his head. "No, it's alright... you did me a favor by saying that."

"A favor..." Ken hummed quietly.

"If you hadn't saved me back there, things might've gotten ugly," Strikedramon sighed, obviously not noticing Ken's tone. "That's how I wound up getting stuck spending a whole summer with her."

Ken forced a smile. "C'mon, Ryo, you must have enjoyed it a little."

"At first it was fun living in a cove, but female humanoid Digimon are... creepy. I've learned that it's best to steer clear of 'em."

"What are we, Ryo?" the boy blurted.

Strikedramon seemed surprised by the question, but then looked at his claws, settled in his lap. "I don't know right now, Ken."

"Because... Because sometimes we feel like one thing, which is good, but sometimes we feel like something else, which is even better."

"Like I said before... I'll tell you when I'm human again."

Ken looked at Strikedramon's face, down at the claws in his lap, and then off at the water. "Then what did it mean out in the forest?"

Archelomon coughed then, reminding them that he was there. He didn't quite know what they were talking about, but it was getting into waters he wasn't as comfortable in as the literal waves beneath them. "Let's talk about it when we get to Asuka," Strikedramon suggested.

"That's fine," Ken agreed. "Sorry, Archelomon."

"It's alright, kame," Archelomon answered.

"You guys might like Asuka better than the Continent of Flame," Strikedramon said, trying to change the subject. "There's actual cities- not just Digimon cities, but cities made for humans, too."

"Why?" Ken asked. "Humans don't live here."

"The Asuka Sector is primarily inhabited by humans, actually," Strikedramon said. "Technically, they aren't really here, though... They all come from a universe where 'Digimon' is an online game. They can 'log on' to the Digital World, but only the Asuka Amaterasu Servers... and their physical bodies technically aren't here. But they still have inns, restaurants, and cities just for humans because of it."

"So... Those humans wouldn't know about me or... or the other Chosens, right? They'll think I'm just another avatar?"

"That's right," Strikedramon said with a nod. "We'll be able to blend pretty easily if Wormmon and I just follow you in single file. And if we blend, we'll be able to stay at the inns and get you a decent meal."

Ken frowned confusedly. "Follow me in a line? That seems pretty mindless. Aren't the Digimon real either?"

"They are, but they all follow the humans in single file while they're out and about. And then they break formation when they're safe inside buildings." Strikedramon shrugged his shoulders. "It seems weird, but the Digimon go along with it happily, so obviously it doesn't bother them."

"They're probably just glad to have partners," Ken mused. "Do we need to pay? Sometimes games require gold or coins or something."

"Yeah... but we can win them if we just challenge some people to card games," Strikedramon explained. "And I know a guy who'll gladly lend us his deck."

"B-But I don't know how to play the card game," Ken insisted.

"We can teach you," Strikedramon said with a smile. "It's fun! If Atsushi has some spare cards, we can even build you a Wormmon deck."

Ken worried on his bottom lip. "I guess I could try..."

"I'll teach you!" Strikedramon laughed. "After all, I am the Digimon King when it comes to cards."

"O-Oh, are you?" Ken asked. "Maybe I should just have you play for me."

"They probably won't let me," Strikedramon said with a frown. "The people running the card shop won't know it's me, since I never brought Cyberdramon in there, and besides..." He flexed his three-fingered hands. "Three fingers, giant claws."

Ken thought for a moment. "Can we trade for money?"

Strikedramon frowned, looking confused. "What do we have to trade?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. I played a game once where NPCs took mushrooms and herbs in exchange for money."

"Well... technically they aren't NPCs... there are actual Digimon working there. It's like their day job. So they're a bit smarter than that."

Ken sighed wearily. "I don't suppose my literary genius would mean anything to anyone. I could tell you what Hesse meant by his impression homo-erotic dream in Siddhartha, but I'm not so sure I can learn this game in time to get us a room for the night."

"Don't worry Ken, I have faith in you!" Strikedramon said with a smile. "You were always good at memorizing and picking up on new things. I bet you'll be able to give me a run for my money by mid-afternoon."

Ken just sighed again and shrugged, though he did give a half nod.

Strikedramon took to trying to explain the basic concept of the game as they continued to sail. He eventually wandered over to the edge of the shell to try and catch them some fish, but that went terribly. He may've been able to use his claws in a fight, but for something as precise as catching a fish, he failed. He went back to trying to explain the game to Ken when Archelomon suddenly bellowed, "Land, kame!" Before them was a huge stretch of beach, covered in palm trees with strange bits around their bases that made them look like they had grown with a pot attached to them, and bearing fruit, definitely not coconuts. The beach led up to a cliff with a path winding back and forth up to the top.

"Up there?" Ken asked. "Feels like Overdell, only without the pedophiliac vampires," he said with a soft chuckle.

Strikedramon laughed a bit awkwardly at that. "Well, we need to go over this cliff just to climb back down again, but yeah. We landed right near the capital of the Asuka Sector, Asuka City."

"I see." Ken jumped down off Archelomon's back, waited for him to shift back into Wormmon, and then took the insect up into his arms. "Great job, Wormmon. So is the whole continent made up of cities, or are we looking at forests and fields too, still?"

"There's still forests and fields, but there are more cities to be had and safer pathways to get between them. Plus, there are inns in the middle of some of the safer terrains for weary travelers." Strikedramon started to lead the way up the naturally-occurring ramp, explaining as he went. "If we can get enough BITS- that's Digital World currency in most places- we can save them and use them at any inns we come across instead of camping out."

"In beds," Ken said with an accidental, yet awkward croak in his voice. "I-I mean, yeah, real beds sound nice. Not having to sleep on the ground will be... good."

Strikedramon caught onto Ken's tone, but Wormmon seemed to have submersed himself back into being blissfully unaware. "It will be, won't it? We've just been sleeping on trains and the ground lately, you deserve a good night's rest, Ken." As they came to the top of the cliff, they were presented with the perfect view of the world waiting for them below. Ladders led down to a large park, where dozens of kids were rushing about or relaxing. A stern Leomon, with his arms crossed, watched from a small dojo sitting at the foot of the cliff as the kids interacted, some just talking, others playing cards, and others still running about, obviously with their own agendas, each with three Digimon running along behind them in a straight line. Some were off to the forest that surrounded the park, others were running over the bridge that spanned what looked like a man-made mote around the city in the distance. "That's it," Strikedramon said, sweeping his arm out. "Asuka."

Indigo eyes widened a bit. It reminded him a lot of the park back home on an early summer Saturday, minus the Digimon of course. Ken almost couldn't believe something so natural and orderly existed in the Digital World. "It doesn't even look like it's been touched by war yet," he said in awe.

"If the war is going on here, it's probably in the other sector, or one of the wilder places. Asuka City has always been very well-guarded since the last time it got attacked." He looked at Wormmon and then up to Ken's face. "We'll probably want to follow along behind you for now. Don't want to attract too much attention to ourselves, just in case... though people may already find it a bit odd that you only have two Digimon with you."

"Is two Digimon not an option?" Ken asked nervously.

"Well... if you only have two, it sort of implies that you lost your third one somehow," Strikedramon said.

"What, like to a card battle? People will already think I suck!"

"No, to a real battle," Strikedramon answered, shaking his head. "Every player of Digimon Online is given three Digimon to start, so they can fight back if they go out in the forest or something and get attacked. But... well, you could still lose a Digimon. People will probably assume you have an egg waiting back at the lab to be re-hatched."

Ken gasped eagerly. "Can we battle other players' Digimon and earn money that way?"

"We could..." Strikedramon said, scratching at the back of his head with a frown. "But I'm worried one might whip out a Virus-type and things could get out of hand."

His shoulders slumped. "Oh... right..."

"Sorry, Ken," Strikedramon said with a frown. "And as much as I'm confident in Wormmon, any given kid here will probably have three different Digimon to send out into battle. And most of them can probably reach their Champion or Ultimate stages at least."

"But Wormmon can execute Armor Evolution," Ken insisted as he started to climb down the ladder to the park below. "He'd blow them away."

"Armor Digimon are on a slightly lower level than Champions, Ken," Strikedramon said, following him down the ladders. "Stingmon is probably his strongest form right now."

The boy quirked a brow curiously. "What? Lower? Since when?"

"Since always, Ken." Strikedramon seemed a bit confused. "You didn't... know that?"

"Well... no. I thought Armor were stronger. I thought that was the advantage. Second generation children didn't have tags or crests. They had Digimentals. I thought it was... evolutionary compensation."

Strikedramon shook his head, hanging onto the ladder rungs, since Ken had stopped. "When the other kids unlocked regular evolution, they started to use it all of the time instead of their armor forms- remember, Ken?" Wormmon warbled from his arms.

"Champion forms are better. Armor forms are just more diverse," Strikedramon agreed.

"I thought it was just easier," Ken murmured. He huffed and shook his head before continuing down the ladder. Once at the bottom, he placed Wormmon on the ground behind him. "Alright, so where are we headed again?"

"Asuka City," Strikedramon said, pointing towards the bridge. Like he had anticipated, a few kids looked over their way as they started to head across the park, and they seemed taken by the fact that Ken only had two Digimon following behind him. Some looked a bit smug, as if thinking, '_I'd _never lose a Digimon', while others almost seemed to wear looks of pity.

Ken of course noticed the looks kids were giving him and it made his shoulders slump all over again. "You know, if it wasn't for me and my friends, the Digital World wouldn't even exist for these kids to play in," he grumbled.

"They don't know that, Ken," Wormmon reminded him gently, as they started to cross the stone bridge leading to the city. It was on an obviously man-made island, sitting in the middle of a man-made lake. There was a huge gate surrounding it, though the doors were open anyway, albeit with a few Digimon guarding the entrance. It was bustling with kids and Digimon, and had three levels of stone-cobbled streets full of them. Though some more experienced kids had different Digimon, many of the ones wandering the streets that were obviously new to the experience had many of the same Digimon, including Agumon, Guilmon, Patamon, and even Renamon.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Ken mumbled over his shoulder to Strikedramon.

"We can probably find Atsushi at the Yellow Cruiser. Down on the lowest level."

"Are there stairs?"

"Ramp," Strikedramon said, pointing towards the road that led down to the lower level. "Just go down that way and look for the big Yellow Cruiser."

Ken nodded. He took the ramp, trying to avoid other kids in the process and finally found the place he was looking for in the line of shops. "There, Yellow Cruiser."

When they entered the cruiser, they were finally given a breather from the hustling outside city. But the shop seemed pretty popular, too, and had a good crowd in it. There was a glass counter, behind which a boy and a Divermon were selling cards to kids who were peering in at them. There were also boxes and boxes of cards on one wall, and the back half of the cruiser had tables set up for kids to play or trade cards. Strikedramon began to scan the shop, and finally pointed towards one of the players. "That's him." He was pointing to a brown-haired boy about Ken's age. He was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, and a yellow vest, with a backwards blue ball-cap and goggles on his head. "That's Atsushi."

Ken seemed slightly overwhelmed by the crowd, but once he'd spotted the other boy, he nodded and moved through the store. He stood by the side of the table and bowed. "Atsushi?"

The boy looked up, looking a bit confused, as did the other kids at the table, watching the card battle. "Junior, what's he talking about?" the kid he was playing cards with asked.

But Atsushi seemed to understand something just by being called by that name. "One second," he told Ken, before turning to the kid he was playing. "Good game, man, but I need to take a rain check." He shook hands with the other kid and gathered up his cards, before motioning for Ken to follow him.

Ken did as instructed. He hoped he wasn't sticking out too much. Really he wasn't afraid of getting in trouble, but Ken knew his peculiar presence could throw the system of other kids out of whack, should they not be able to understand his presence in their dimension.

Atsushi led them outside of the cruiser, heading towards the small man-made park that floated in the lake the city was settled on. They crossed the bridge and Atsushi led them over to a bench, motioning for Ken to sit and sitting himself beside him. He'd been followed by three Digimon, obviously his own- the first was a Bearmon, a Digimon that looked like a bear cub on two feet with gray and white fur, and navy belts on his hands that matched the backwards ball-cap on his head, much like his tamer's, though Bearmon's read 'BEARS' in big letters. The second was a dinosaur-like Digimon, though it was hard to tell because he was wearing a full suit of kendo armor. The chain mail sleeves even covered his hands, which held a bamboo sword, but he was given away by the metal bits built into his helmet to conceal his horns, and his dinosaur-like feet and tail. The last was Monmon, a green monkey-like Digimon with a ponytail and face paint, wearing a hide of some sort and with a slingshot strapped to his back. They sat obediently at the brunet's feet as he turned to Ken. "How do you know my real name?" he asked. He didn't sound interrogative, but rather a bit concerned. "Is there some sort of trouble?"

"My name is Ken Ichijouji," Ken introduced himself as he sat down. "I'm afraid I'm not exactly an avatar player. I'm not really from your world. Call me crazy, I know," he said with a small laugh. "I've traveled here from File Island. See, my Digimon and I have come to learn about a war going on here in the Digital World. Apparently the Vaccine and Virus Digimon are looking to eliminate each other. Long story short, our travels have brought us here. We'd like to rest for the night, but we don't have any money. A friend of mine said you could help me."

"You're from outside Asuka, huh?" Atsushi asked, nodding his head as Ken spoke. "I've only met a few people that are actually in the Digital World..." He reached out his hand then, offering a smile. "Well, I'd be glad to help. Nice to meet you, Ken Ichijouji."

"And you as well," Ken said with a smile as he shook hands with the other boy. He then laughed again. "I'm afraid the only online games I've played involved NPCs that accepted monster kills and mushrooms in exchange for money, but I understand I don't have that option here. I'm going to have to rely on a, um... card game?"

"That's your best bet, if you don't want to fight with your actual Digimon," Atsushi said with a nod. "Do you... come from a dimension that doesn't have the Digimon card game?"

Ken rubbed the back of his neck and laughed sheepishly. "I come from a dimension where Digimon are flesh and blood creatures."

Atsushi's mouth fell open at that. "Whoah, really? Wow... now that's a first."

"They weren't always," Ken tried to explain. "Not at first, but my friends and I repaired the rift between our worlds. Now the Digimon can go into the real world and everyone has partners. It's really nice, actually." He gestured to the small green insect. "Wormmon is my Chosen partner."

"Nice to meet you," Atsushi said, shaking Wormmon's small claw.

"You too," Wormmon responded.

The brunet then looked up at Strikedramon. "So, if you only have a partner... who's this guy?"

The boy looked up at the dragon man. Yes, who was this, exactly? "This... This is a friend."

"Alright..." Atsushi seemed a bit put-off by Ken's seemingly unsure answer, but his smile quickly returned. "Well then, I guess we're gonna teach you guys the ins and outs of card battling!" he said with an excited pump of his fist. His energy was quite like the goggle boys Ken was used to. "Bearmon!" he said, pointing at his first Digimon. "Go inside and grab my card binder so we can build Ken here a deck." Bearmon gave his tamer an excited salute before he ran back over the bridge and towards the cruiser.

Ken put his hands up and shook his head. "I don't need anything fancy, honest," he insisted. "I'll be sure to give all your cards back, too."

"I thought we could build him a Wormmon deck," Strikedramon suddenly piped up, smiling gently.

"Great idea!" Atsushi said with an excited grin. When Bearmon came back, he flipped through the binder until he came to the section with the Dark cards in it. He whipped out a Wormmon card and handed it to Ken, before throwing the binder down on the bench between them. "Alright, we've got some work to do," he said, grin still quite alive. "Pay close attention!"

Ken held the card carefully in both hands and nodded. "O-Okay..."


	21. Digimon Online

Atsushi was obviously quite enthusiastic about teaching Ken to play the card game, as he explained every mechanic in explicit detail, all while picking out cards from the binder, placing them in piles and explaining why he was choosing them for Ken's deck. Ken was even given the same cards Ryo had shown him quite a long time ago on Vikemon's back, the ones representing all of Wormmon's armor forms. By the time Atsushi was done explaining the game, Ken had a small deck of cards in his hands. "If you win a match, you get some money and the shop owner will give you a free pack of cards," Atsushi said as he slipped the last card into Ken's hand. "You can sell that pack to one of the kids in the cruiser, and between that and your prize money, you should be able to buy yourself a good meal and stay at the inn for the night. I'll spot you if you lose."

Ken was left looking down at the cards in his hands, blinking. He was trying terribly hard to process all the information he'd been given and learn the game in one sitting. "Um, okay... I think I've got it." If Atsushi was so willing to spot Ken, the boy wondered why all of this was necessary. Couldn't Atsushi just give them the money? Then again, Ken supposed he had to put in a fair effort of earning it. "Thanks."

"I bet you're wondering why I don't just pay," Atsushi suddenly said, grinning and pointing a finger at the other boy to get his attention. "Well, though it may be gentlemanly, if you're going to be on this continent for a while you're definitely going to want to learn how to card battle. It's one of the best ways to make money. This place is the most forgiving in terms of the level of newcomers, so it's best if you learn here in Asuka City."

The pale boy smiled. "I figured it was something like that."

"Now!" Atsushi got to his feet, and offered his hand to help Ken do the same. "Let's get in there and show them what you're made of!"

"Heheh...Yeah..." Ken blushed sheepishly. "Whooo."

Atsushi dragged Ken inside, his Digimon trotting along quickly after him, with Strikedramon and Wormmon picking up the rear after exchanging amused expressions. Ken was quickly sat down at a table, and Atsushi asked around the shop to find someone else who was also new to the game. After he finally found one, he sat him across from Ken, they shook hands, and the card battle commenced. Ken was nervous at first and wasn't playing well at all. He even heard other kids snickering at him from other tables. Ken was right on the verge of losing when it all suddenly clicked. It was like the time Davis took him outside and taught him soccer again. Ken had fallen on his butt more times than he could count, but then he was flying around Davis and making goals left and right. Now Ken was playing his cards like a pro. Strategies formulated in his head at record speed, being used or discarded as he needed them. Before he knew it, Ken had won.

Most of the kids who were watching were dumbfounded by the victory. The first to three wins was the winner, so when Ken had quickly lost two Digimon, they thought the match had been decided. But seeing him suddenly take out three of his opponent's Digimon in a row earned him a round of applause from his onlookers. The other boy didn't even seem upset that he'd lost, he actually looked much more impressed. "You played that Wormmon card like a pro," he said, as he counted out a few coins and selected a few cards to hand over to Ken. "Good game."

"Thanks. O-Oh, no, no cards. You keep those. I just need the money," Ken said.

"You sure?" the kid said, looking surprised. "Well, here," he counted out a few more coins, smiling and putting the pile into Ken's hand while he put the cards back in his binder. "Only fair."

Ken smiled back. "Thanks. I appreciate it." He shook hands with the other kid before going to the showcase where he spoke to the Divermon. "Um, I understand I get a free pack of cards for winning?"

"First game?" the Divermon said, smiling. "Good job. Here." He selected a pack of cards from a small box labeled 'Booster Packs' and handed it over to Ken. "Best of luck to ya, kid."

"Thank you." Ken took the packet and then went back to the tables. "I know this might sound odd, but I really need to sell this Booster. I need the money more than I need the cards. Is anyone interested in buying?"

"Let me see!" A few kids at once crowded around to peer at the booster pack. The color of the pack was obviously a deciding factor, as a few became disinterested once they saw the bright red wrapping. One boy, who had an Agumon, Veemon, and Flamon peering over his shoulder, at once became excited, however. "I'll take it off your hands! Give it here," he said, as he began counting out coins.

Ken held the pack close to his chest. He was new, but he wasn't an idiot. "How much will you give me for it?"

"200 BITS," the boy offered, thrusting a handful of coins at Ken. Ken glanced up at Strikedramon, silently asking if that was a fair price. Strikedramon nodded his head very quickly. The boy was actually offering a bit more than the pack was worth. The boy's Flamon looked like he wanted to say something to his tamer, but ultimately was biting his tongue.

"Deal," Ken said with his own nod and traded the cards for the coins.

The boy started to excitedly tear open the pack as Atsushi came over, clapping Ken on the shoulder and grinning. "See? And you doubted yourself. C'mon, let's all go get a good meal."

Ken jumped slightly, but he grinned when he saw Atsushi. "Oh! Here are your cards back. Thanks for letting me use them."

"No, go ahead, keep 'em! Least I can do," Atsushi said, laughing. "I've got a whole binder of cards, and those are all doubles. You're gonna need a deck anyway."

"Are you sure?" Ken asked, even as he tucked the cards into his back pocket. "Thanks, I really appreciate all your help."

"No problem," Atsushi said with a smile. "It's always worth it to get to talk to people from other dimensions, it's... kind've amazing. C'mon, c'mon, let's go eat!" he said, waving his hand as he headed back out into the street, his three Digimon following quickly. Atsushi led them back up to the middle level, near the gate where they arrived. There were fewer kids wandering the streets now. In fact, most of the remaining players seemed to be older, and had much different Digimon than the typical ones that had crowded the streets before- though there still were a few Renamon and Patamon walking about. Atsushi brought them to a place called the Lamb Chop. Inside, it looked like a tavern, with a well-dressed man behind a bar cleaning glasses and women in old-fashioned waitress dresses serving food to tamers and Digimon sitting at wooden tables. "Technically this place is a milk bar, but they serve some great food here, too," Atsushi explained.

"I guess it must be pretty late where you are," Ken said, observing how only older kids were logged on now. No doubt moms and dads were giving orders for bedtime, forcing younger players to log off for the day. "I don't suppose the food is local?" he asked. "I'd give anything for miso and salmon." Ken's stomach gave an eager growl at the mention of food and he blushed.

"It's a bit more western," Atsushi said, laughing gently when he heard that. "But I'm sure you'll find something to your taste." One of the waitresses came up to them and Atsushi asked for a table for seven. She escorted them to one of the larger tables, as Atsushi sat himself next to Ken and his Digimon all grabbed seats on his other side. Strikedramon sat next to one of them, and the waitress even brought over a few extra pillows to stack on Wormmon's chair so he was at the same level as the others. She then placed menus down and bustled away, though Atsushi and his Digimon already seemed to know what they wanted. "But yeah, it is getting pretty late. Younger players start leaving around now, which means it's an optimal time to visit the restaurant or go out training- less crowds."

Ken looked over his menu thoughtfully. It really was western. There were items like corndogs, tacos, burgers, fried chicken, milkshakes... It really seemed more like Davis' kind of place. Finally, Ken decided on a club sandwich and fries with a small water. "I'm sure it's not something you're interested in talking about," Ken began, "but have you noticed anything strange going on? You know... Digimon disagreeing with each other, unauthorized fights, any disturbances?"

The brunet looked thoughtful, but then shook his head. He was, at the same time, trying to slide his hat out from under his goggles to put the former away. "I used to be really alert to that kind of stuff, but this sector's been so peaceful lately that I haven't left the city much. Why, is something going on?"

Ken looked confused. He had explained this once already out on the park bench, but he supposed Atsushi had gotten too excited by the card game to remember much of what else they talked about. So again Ken told him about the war between the Virus and Vaccine Digimon. He told Atsushi about the initial fight he saw and the interrogation with the Ketomon. He told Atsushi about the officers and how he'd gotten through about half of them so far, but also of the battles surely yet to come. Ken was relieved to know Asuka was clean so far, but he had his doubts it would stay that way for long.

Atsushi listened, a bit more intently this time, after putting away his hat and adjusting his goggles. He nodded his head as Ken spoke, and when he was done, swallowed gently. "Man, it sounds crazy out there... well, I haven't seen anything like that lately, but that might be just because I've been spending most of my time near the city." He tapped his hand on the wooden table as he thought. "If you want to see if anything is going on here on Asuka, you're probably going to have to head through the forest, where all of the wild Digimon are. The ones following kids would never take part."

"I just hope the fights don't come into the city. I mean, you must know as well as I do that your Digimon, all these Digimon here in the city, are as real and free thinking as mine. If wild Digimon involved in the war come into the city provoking these 'game' Digimon, there could be a huge problem."

Atsushi nodded his head. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. We had a very similar problem to that once, with wild Digimon, even Digimon not native to the continent, attacking the cities. Back then, we had to ramp up security big time."

Ken bit his lip slightly. "It might not hurt to... ramp up... security again. You know, just in case, or at least until my Digimon and I take care of any officers here on Asuka."

"Possibly..." Atsushi murmured, looking a little conflicted. "I just don't want anyone to get alarmed. We had an incident a while ago... where a lot of people got stuck inside the game. If people see security rising they might think we're going to have a repeat situation."

"My policy is better safe than sorry," Ken said, leaning forward on the table. "You can either up the security, let people get a little flustered, which at least means they'll be on their toes, and have nothing happen which mean everyone goes back to normal, or you leave security as laxed as it is and risk an attack which really will send people into chaos."

"Look, I don't work for Digimon Online, so I don't really have a say," Atsushi said, putting his hands up. "But, if you think it's best, we can go talk to the people running the show during their desk hours tomorrow and explain the situation to them."

Ken leaned back in his seat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so pushy. I just... I'd hate to see such innocent kids get hurt. They aren't prepared for real live or die fights like I am. Like you are, maybe."

"I understand what you mean, but like I said, it isn't up to me," Atsushi murmured. "I should have some say, since I did kind of stop this whole place from going to hell, but I don't work here. We can go see the Digimon Online people tomorrow and hope they listen." When the brunet was done speaking, their waitress reappeared. She wasn't a kid, she was probably closer to Ryo's age, but she looked just as happy to be there as any player. "Howdy! What can I get for ya?" she asked, smiling brightly and pulling a pen out from her blonde hair.

"Oh, um... The club sandwich," Ken told her, looking back at his menu to be sure. "I only want a small order of fries, though, and no soda. I just want water, please."

"Awright," she said, smiling and taking his menu. Wormmon ordered a salad, and Strikedramon a steak. "And you, Junior?"

When she turned to Atsushi and his three Digimon, they all just smiled and chimed, "The usual!" to which she laughed, scribbling all four orders down on her pad.

"I'll get all of that out as soon as I can, guys," she promised, before taking the rest of the menus and waltzing off.

"Just goes to show how much time I spend here," Atsushi said with a laugh.

Ken was about to come back with a comment about living in the Digital World, but that was a can of worms he'd rather not open. "So, is Junior your avatar name?"

"Yeah," Atsushi said, laughing and scratching at the back of his head. "It's a bit embarrassing, but my friend set up the account for me and put that as my avatar's name as a joke. I've gotten used to it now, though."

"I'm a bit confused, though," Ken admitted. "You said that kids got stuck in here. Are you somehow really here, or are you sitting behind a computer in your room right now?"

"No, I'm here... technically..." Atsushi thought of how best to explain it. "You don't log on to Digimon Online from your house. There's a place where you enter... it's like virtual reality. Technically my body isn't here, it's back at the Digimon Online headquarters, but if I reach out and touch something..." he said, putting a hand on Ken's shoulder. "I can still feel it like I'm really here."

Ken smiled, his eyes bright. "That's amazing! I've been trying to master virtual reality for awhile now. I managed to devise a control mechanism that latches onto the nervous system, but I can't make it go both ways. The connection is fairly simple. You've got plug-in for both feet, both hands and at the neck, and then a simple visor allows image reception. Are you sitting down or free standing in a chamber? How invasive is the connection? If kids couldn't simply detach their connections during that entrapment episode, I imagine the system must be extremely sophisticated."

"I don't quite know how it works, but I know I'm standing up in the chamber. There's like this huge warehouse-sized building full of pods, and the people working there can bring one down for you to step into. It then joins the rest of them- seems sort of freaky, but where I come from, virtual reality is pretty standard. Enough that it's being used for games like this." He put a hand on his chin as he continued to speak. "I honestly don't know how it links up, though, because you black out for a few minutes before entering the world as soon as the pod door closes, so I've never actually experienced being hooked up. And when you log off, you wake up already detached from the system and with the pod door open."

"So whatever happened here must have been a technical interference with the hook up," Ken pondered aloud as he tapped his chin. "Do you know what they did as far as preventive measures after the incident was over?"

"Well... they threw out the guy who started the whole mess, for starters," Atsushi said as he put his hands behind his head.

"It was the Game Master, who ran Digimon Online who tried to trap everyone here!" Bearmon suddenly chimed in from his seat.

"They spread command out between several people to prevent that from happening again," Atsushi said with a nod.

"Plus, they got rid of the banning program she exploited that turned everyone into Oinkmon," Monmon added.

"I see. I so wish I could talk to these people. If I could master virtual reality, it would change the world." Ken laughed. "I've written dozens of articles and dissertations on the subject, exploring the benefits as far as politics, education, and medicine go. I've been rewarded with plenty of recognition, but unfortunately, no real credit or funding will be given until I move it one step forward."

Atsushi and his Digimon looked a bit amazed as Ken spoke. "Wow," Atsushi finally chose to say, smiling slightly. "So, you're pretty scholarly, huh?"

Ken blinked and blushed. "Oh, oh well, yes. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rant like that. Sometimes I just get so excited about my projects."

"No, that's okay!" Atsushi said, waving his hand quickly. "I think it's cool!"

Ken rubbed at the back of his head as his blush darkened. "Well, thank you."

Atsushi continued to smile until the waitress returned with their food. "It's just as filling as real world food," Atsushi assured Ken. "I could get my three meals a day from this place without even logging off."

The pale boy nodded. "Food here is quite easy to come by. You should see the other continents. Mailboxes are full of candy and sandwiches instead of letters and packages. The fruits are all different colors on the tress compared to the real world. You can make yourself a decent meal if you know how to program just right, too."

"Is that so?" Atsushi said, looking a little amazed. "Asuka's nothing like that- that's why we have restaurants. I bet you guys have been all over since you're not restricted to one continent."

"File Island and Server were the only two places I'd ever been to before now," Ken explained. "Since the war is spread world wide, I've had to find my way around. Luckily my friends are here to help me and protect me when things get out of hand." He smiled and pet Wormmon on the head. "I wouldn't have made it nearly as far without them."

"I know what you mean," Atsushi said, nodding his head. Almost as if on instinct from watching Ken pet Wormmon, he reached his hand over to pat Bearmon on the head. "I would've been in deep trouble if it weren't for these guys and the other Digimon that have helped me out." Ken nodded back and began to eat his dinner. Admittedly, it had been a while since the boy had had real food. Ken estimated that he'd been gone for almost two months now, if not that and maybe a little more. While he ate eagerly, Ken also made sure to savor the food. Wormmon ate his salad slowly while observing the Atsushi's Digimon team. Admittedly, they were all sorts he'd never seen before. He glanced at Strikedramon, who seemed much more engulfed in his steak. He reminded himself that Strikedramon already knew Atsushi, so of course he wouldn't be interested. But he was keeping quiet now... It probably was easier for him to just not try and explain what had happened to him. "You really did play well back at the card shop, though," Atsushi added idly. "Haven't seen a comeback like that since the Digimon King and Queen faced off for the first and last time," he added with a small laugh.

"King and Queen, huh?" Ken replied just as idly. "What, uh... What do you have to do to get that title?"

"You have to be pretty much undefeatable at card battling," Atsushi said. "The only person the Digimon Queen ever lost to, was, well, the Digimon King," he said with another laugh.

"Who's the Queen?" Ken asked as he sipped his water.

"This girl who showed up... Her avatar's name was Ruki, but I'm pretty sure her name was Rika Nonaka."

Water sprayed all over the table. Ken had a coughing fit before he turned to Strikedramon. "You never told me she was your Queen!"

Atsushi's eyes went wide when Ken spat out his water at the name, and Strikedramon jumped when he was suddenly addressed. "It's just a card battling title!" the dragon man explained quickly.

"It's still a shared position! Something else you have in common!" Ken insisted. "Maybe I shouldn't be threatened, but... but still!"

"Um..." Atsushi interjected with a bit of a confused expression. "Why are you yelling at your Digimon? The Digimon King's a human."

Ken stopped short, his mouth hanging open and eyes wide. "Um... I..." Unable to come up with a logical, that is to say sane, reason, he just sort of slunk down in his seat with his head turned down.

Atsushi wanted to ask what had just happened, but decided it best to let it go. Maybe living in the Digital World full-time was just that stressful. "He's the guy named Ryo Akiyama. Really skilled," Atsushi went on to say, moving the conversation away from Ken's sudden outburst. "Don't see him around too much lately, though. The Queen still drops by from time to time, but he's almost never around. Still, no one is able to beat him when he does show up, so he gets to keep the title."

"She... She's not here now, is she?" Ken asked, still hiding with his face down.

"Not that I know of," Atsushi murmured. "Do you know her or something?"

"It's a long story," Ken sighed as he started nibbling on his fries.

"Oh... alright then," Atsushi said, turning back to his food as well. He could tell he wasn't meant to touch this.

Soon their meals were finished. Not much more conversation was shared between the parties. Ken didn't know what else to say without wandering into awkward or confidential territory. "I want to thank you again for helping me," he said to Atsushi while putting money down on the table. "I suppose my only other question would be where the closest inn is."

"If you head up the ramp outside, it's one of the first buildings on the top level of the city," Atsushi said, pointing with one hand as the other put his share of pay down. After the waitress came and collected the money, his Digimon hopped up, quickly getting into single-file to follow Atsushi out. "Best of luck to you. And don't hesitate to come find me if you need anything... you have any method of contact?"

"Only if you can communicate with either of these," Ken said, holding up his Digivice and D-Terminal.

"Let me take a look," Atsushi said, grabbing the D-Terminal and flipping it open. He played around with it for a few minutes before smiling and handing it back to Ken. "Alright, this thing works just like the friend-finding interface that Digimon Online uses. You can contact me with this if you need me."

"How do I do that, though?" Ken asked while looking at the screen.

"Have you used the messenger before? Look," Atsushi motioned to a small menu. "Those are all the people you've ever messaged. I just stuck myself on there."

"Oh! I see, yeah." Ken closed his D-Terminal and put it back in his pocket. "Well thanks for everything, Atsushi. I'll be sure to contact you if I need anything. It's nice having someone else here to talk to."

"Same here," Atsushi said with a nod. "Feel free to message me even if nothing's going on," he added with a smile, before waving for his Digimon to follow him and heading out of the restaurant. Strikedramon watched him with sort of a curious look tugging at his lips, but still kept quiet.

Ken glanced up at the dragon man. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing," Strikedramon said, waving his tail. "Let's go to the inn."

"Are you sure?" Ken asked, though he did start towards the door. "You look like something's on your mind."

"It's fine," Strikedramon assured him, getting up and falling into step behind Wormmon. As they walked out into the streets, it was apparent the number of players had thinned again. Some spending their night in the inn, others simply having logged off. Only a few players wandered the new darkened streets, most looking to do a few final things before taking their own leave. As they headed up the ramp, they soon spotted the wooden sign that showed the inn. The inside of the building was all wood, from the floors to the walls, though the floors were covered with a few rugs that gave it a feel like a woodland cabin. There was a Guardromon who was- what else- standing guard, and a Gatomon sat behind the counter.

Ken approached the counter and first looked around for any humans, but then his eyes went to the Gatomon. "Do you run this inn?"

"Yes I do," the Gatomon said with a smile and a flick of her tail, crossing her paws on the counter. "Would you like to stay the night?"

He nodded. "Yes please. One room for me and my two Digimon. Two beds if possible."

"Alright..." she said, pulling out a large book and starting to flip through it. She didn't seem to judge Ken as harshly as the kids did when he mentioned that he only had two Digimon. After a few moments of searching through the book, she clamped it shut and flicked a golden key onto her tail from the board on the wall behind her. "Follow me, please," she said, leading the way up the stairs towards the room.

Ken motioned to his Digimon and started to follow the Gatomon. "You have a lovely inn. It's very warm."

"Thank you!" she said, her voice practically a purr. "This is our biggest one. My sisters and I run most of the inns across the sector." When she came to the room, she stopped and opened it with the key, before extending her tail to Ken to take it. "If you need anything, feel free to come downstairs and ask." She then also extended her paw for payment.

"Yes, I will, thank you." Ken took the key and then looked at her paw. "Oh! How much is it?"

"250 BITS," she responded.

"250... 250... 250..." he murmured as he counted out the coins. Ken even added an extra 10 for tip. "Here you are."

She noticed the extra BITS and smiled as she handed over the key. "Thank you very much, sir. Have a good rest." She then pattered down the hallway to go take her place back at the front desk. The room had oddly built bunk beds, each one built above the others on a slightly higher platform, though none of them hovered directly over another, all offset by a few feet so each bed was only half-way covered by the one above it. There were four beds total, meaning the room was obviously meant for one human and three Digimon.

"This was probably the smallest room she had," Strikedramon commented.

"Well, at least we'll have plenty of space. C'mon Wormmon." Ken ushered his Digimon up onto his shoulder before climbing the ladder onto one of the top bunks. When it came to bunk beds, taking the top was his instinct. Osamu always slept on the bottom. Always. Ken removed his shirt and pants, folding them neatly, set them at the foot of the bed, and then crawled under the sheets. "This sure feels nice."

Strikedramon jumped up two of the beds, and settled on the third one to the top. "I agree," Wormmon warbled, smiling as he curled up at the foot of the bed. "It's been a while since we got to sleep in beds."

Ken sat up, picked up Wormmon, and settled down with his Digimon beside his head on the pillow. "Like this..."

Wormmon's antenna went up confusedly when he was moved, but his eyes reflected a smile as he was settled onto the pillow. "Good night, Ken," he warbled quietly.

It was already midmorning by the time Ken and the others woke up. The beds had proven far more comfortable than expected. In fact, if it wasn't for the horrible rumbling that shook the ground and the screams of all the kids outside, Ken might not have gotten up. The entire inn trembled and creaked with the next thunderous disturbance. Ken shot up from his bed, gasping and crying out. "What is that?"

"It seems something's happening below us," Strikedramon growled. He was already awake, and had woken up before the shaking even started, and was standing on the inn floor below.

"Is it part of the game?" Ken asked as he fought to get his clothes on while he was tossed around.

"No," Strikedramon said, shaking his head. "I don't think so. Nothing would ever be set up that could put anyone's lives in danger, and... well, just look," he said, motioning to the shaking walls. "I think there's a rogue Digimon causing trouble who's not supposed to be in the city."

"I knew it!" Ken was trying to get his leg in his pants when the inn shook again, throwing him from the top bunk. "Ryo!" Strikedramon's head snapped as soon as his name was called, and he quickly ran beneath Ken and caught him before he could hit the ground. Wormmon, a bit steadier, grabbed the rest of Ken's clothing and brought it down. Ken held onto Strikedramon's shoulder through the tremor, his pants flopping unceremoniously by one leg from his ankle. "We have to help!" he said when a moment of calm came.

"I agree," Strikedramon said with a nod. "Get dressed and we'll go." He placed Ken down, and Wormmon held up his boy's clothes as Strikedramon started to think. "If a wild Digimon big enough to make those tremors got past security... it probably came in through the sewers."

"It probably _is in_ the sewers," Ken agreed. The skinny denim was pulled up around his hips, the tank top pulled on over his head, and feet shoved into his shoes. "C'mon, let's go!"


	22. Earthquake

Strikedramon and Wormmon followed Ken out into the shaking hall, and as they ran downstairs, they were greeted with the sight of the Guardromon and Gatomon both running around, attempting to figure out a way to ensure that the inn stayed up. Outside, kids and Digimon were all running towards the large building on the other side of the city, presumably to attempt to log off, or towards the forest. "This way," Strikedramon said, taking the lead, since no one would notice him doing so in all of the confusion, and offering his tail for Ken to grab onto so they didn't get separated. Ken practically tossed Wormmon onto his shoulders just before grabbing Strikedramon's tail with both hands. It was difficult holding and staying together since they were going against the moving sea of kids. Luckily, Strikedramon was big enough that he easily fought against the crowd. He eventually found a ladder that led them down into the sewers once he pried off the cover, and he jumped straight down into the hole before motioning for Ken to climb the ladder down. "Hold on tight, though!" he added. "The tremors are more intense down here!"

Ken held on as tightly as he could, moving down the rungs slowly and carefully. Whatever was making a racket seemed to be drawing closer, however, as they heard a terrible roar followed by a thundering crash. The whole place shook violently, throwing Ken from the ladder despite his best efforts. "Help!"

Strikedramon caught Ken a second time and couldn't help but laugh in spite of the situation. "Not your day, huh."

Ken laughed too. "We're in the sewer now at least. I don't think I can fall from anywhere now."

"This may be better, anyway," Strikedramon said. Though there was a concrete path they could follow, it ran right alongside a river of sewage, so the dragon man chose to carry Ken instead of putting him down and risk him falling into the muck, and started to carry him towards the source of the tremors.

Ken didn't mind being carried. This way he could keep up, not get crushed by falling debris or best of all, not fall in the sewage. But something suddenly occurred to Ken. "It's a Virus! Ryo! Wait!" Ken's words came too late and they rounded the corner, and came across the Digimon responsible. He was a large, hulking creature. Though he seemed to be about Strikedramon's height, he was hunched over, disguising his true size. He had yellow skin, concealing muscles developed in a grossly mutated way with large, popping veins. His face and the single horn on his head were covered by a mask, though part of it had been knocked out to reveal a wild blue eye. He had a slackened jaw that hung open, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and a tail half plated in metal. He didn't stand up on his back legs, but rested forward on all fours with his back legs bent, because one of his arms, the one with a spiked, metal shoulder pad, had mutated to a grotesquely huge size in comparison to the other. And instead of four black claws, it only had two red ones. Strikedramon suddenly dropped Ken when he saw the creature, which seemed to be attacking some sort of device half-sunk in the sewer water. "Ooof!" Ken was none too appreciative of being dropped and rubbed his rear after hitting the concrete. "Ryo wait!" he said, jumping to his feet and putting both hands on the tall Digimon. "We need to think first! Don't go rushing in! Rushing in his bad!"

That's what another ungodly roar was heard. Cyclonemon seemed rather upset with the thing he was attacking, though it was impossible to know why. Ken got the impression that this yellow beast was on the brutish side of things. Its tail swung from side to side, colliding with the walls of the tunnel, making everything shake around them and no doubt the ground above. Finally seeming to reach the end of his patience for the thing, Cyclonemon raised his deformed arm and bellowed, "Hyper Heat!" His two red claws glowed a hellish amber and he struck the device, causing it to melt.

Wormmon's eyes went wide when he caught sight of a spark from Strikedramon's now thrashing tail. Suddenly, it was Stingmon who was pulling Ken away from the dragon man, just before Strikedramon shouted, "Strike Fang!" and burst into flames. Without Ken or Stingmon in front of him, he let out a roar and leapt into the water, ramming into Cyclonemon's side.

Ken yelped when he was suddenly yanked to the side. He watched with wide eyes as Strikedramon struck, only to be grabbed up in the deformed hand. "Hyper Heat!" Cyclonemon roared, heating his fist as he squeezed the purple dragon.

Strikedramon yelped in pain when he was suddenly squeezed, the flames going out all at once. Almost. His red hair had turned into a mass of blue flames, and continued to burn on even as the regular fire was snuffed out. The dragon man wriggled in Cyclonemon's grip, trying desperately to get free. "Moon Shooter!" Stingmon exclaimed, his wings carrying him up to the ceiling of the sewer, out of Cyclonemon's reach, as he started to shoot at the mutated Digimon.

Cyclonemon snarled and lost his grip on Strikedramon. He turned, one blue eye glaring up at the assassin insect. "Arm Bomber!" he roared, swinging the mutated appendage into the air, but he hardly came close. Instead, he jammed his tail into the wall and exclaimed, "Hyper Heat!" All the cement blocks began to glow orange and melt, causing the liquid rock to drip in large globs onto Stingmon's wings.

Stingmon cried out in pain and fell into the sewage water alongside Strikedramon. But where Stingmon had the mind to stop and try and figure out a tactic, the snarling Strikedramon rushed right back in. "Strike Claw!" he roared, attempting to slash up Cyclonemon's pulsating yellow skin.

Ken had himself plastered against the wall, trying to avoid any attacks and the melted concrete still dripping from above. There came a beeping from his hip and when he looked down, he saw the familiar red glow on his Digivice. "No," Ken hissed. "I don't need it. They can manage this fight alone." An ungodly screech was heard and Ken looked up to see Strikedramon's attack make contact. The veins in Cyclonemon's flesh ruptured, oozing what looked like black acid. He made an enraged bellowing sound and swung his arm at the pair.

Both were knocked back into the water again and had to stay under to avoid gobs of melting concrete. Stingmon's wings finally made their recovery, picking him up out of the water so he could resume attacking. "Spiking Strike!" he shouted, attempting to do like Strikedramon did and skewer Cyclonemon. But unlike Strikedramon, he had the mind to quickly dart away, while the dragon man just kept trying to hack away at the now oozing flesh.

Cyclonemon was just becoming more and more enraged by their attacks. Like with the device he was beating around, he turned to even more brutish methods. Cyclonemon thrust his arms out, slamming his hands against the walls, swung his tail upward to jam it into the ceiling, and then stuck his neck out, opening his jaw wide. "Hyper Heat!" he roared. This time, the dragon's entire body began to heat up. Yellow flesh turned orange and red, burning like a raging inferno. It wasn't long before the whole tunnel was affected. Everything started to melt like lava from a volcano. Even the putrid water was starting to boil. Ken cried out when melted rock seared his bare arm and he backed away as quickly as he could.

"Ken!" Stingmon cried. Strikedramon kept trying to get near Cyclonemon and attack him, despite the overwhelming heat, hair still ablaze with bright blue flames. Stingmon rushed over to Ken, however, quickly trying to shield him. "Ken, we need the DigiEgg of Friendship, now!" he gasped.

"O-Okay!" Ken nodded and pulled out the D-Terminal, selected the egg, and exclaimed. "Digimental Up!"

Stingmon de-Digivolved to Wormmon only to instantly switch forms. "Wormmon Armor Digivolve to... Togemogumon!" The gigantic mole Digimon with ice crystals emerging from his back was revealed. He didn't seem effected by the lava-like substance that dripped onto his cool armor, only steam rising from it when he was hit. The only thing that was saving Strikedramon at the moment was the fact that he had been pinned under the water by Cyclonemon's huge arm, but that was not a good place either. He was thrashing about and barely grabbing short breaths. Togemogumon's gray eyes went wide when he realized this and quickly set to work. "Crystal Guard!" The ice crystals suddenly spread out, creating a sheet of ice that swept over the tunnel. The heat Cyclonemon was emitting was stifled, stopping anymore melting rock from falling and even patching up holes that were made in the tunnel with thick sheets of shimmering ice.

"You did it!" Ken cheered. "Now help Strikedramon!" Cyclonemon looked around when the heat had dissipated. He was not at all pleased to see his handiwork hand been frozen over. The single blue eye landed on Togemogumon and his tail thrashed about as a warning.

"Hail Machine Gun!" Togemogumon cried, firing all of his ice crystals at Cyclonemon in one shivering burst. Cyclonemon couldn't move fast enough thanks to his wounds and the weight of his arm. So a hideous shriek was heard when all the ice crystals hit, sinking deep into his flesh. Cyclonemon stumbled back, freeing Strikedramon, and tried to pull the shards from his body, but it was no use. Cyclonemon gave one last roar before convulsing and bursting into pixel dust. Strikedramon gasped as he was finally allowed to resurface, coughing and trying his best to gain back his breath. Some dingy green and brown water spurted from his mouth and dripped from his lips as he took deep breaths between waterlogged coughs. Togemogumon let out a relieved breath, a short puff of it telling how cold the tunnel had become, before devolving back into Wormmon.

"You were amazing!" Ken exclaimed as he dropped to his knees and scooped Wormmon up. "You handled him like a pro!"

"I did, didn't I?" Wormmon laughed, antenna perked upright in lieu of the wide smile he would definitely have on his face if he was capable. "And did you see, I Digivolved to Stingmon as soon as the fight started!" Meanwhile, Strikedramon had managed to wade over to the concrete path, clinging with his arms and still spitting out sewer water.

Ken glanced at the dragon and crouched down beside the ledge. "How're you holding up?" he asked with an encouraging smile.

"I drank sewer water," the dragon man sputtered with a groan.

Ken frowned. "Oh, gross... I-I mean! I mean, I'm sorry about that. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant."

"Not particularly," Strikedramon murmured, as he pulled himself out of the water. Suddenly, with a smirk, as he pulled himself onto all fours, he shook the water off like a dog.

"Ah! Ryo!" Ken turned and tried to shield himself with his free arm, but the soiled water still got on his clothes and hair. "You did that on purpose!"

"Me? No..." Strikedramon said with an innocent-sounding tone and a little pout. Wormmon couldn't help but laugh, putting his claws over his mouth.

Ken grinned. "Oh no? Well, accidents do happen I suppose." He walked up alongside Strikedramon and bumped out his hip, sending the Digimon half back into the water. "Whoopsie!"

"Ah!" Strikedramon gasped and clung to the concrete path, legs scrambling to get him back onto solid ground. "You sure you want to start in with me?" he asked, grinning and raising his tail threateningly.

"Are you kidding?" Ken laughed. "You'd wipe the floor with me!" That's when the boy ran off giggling and laughing. "Last one out is a rotten egg!" Wormmon continued to laugh from Ken's arms as Strikedramon smirked and scrambled back up onto the concrete. He burst into a run on all four legs, and when he came up behind Ken, nudged the boy over his head and onto his back. Ken sort of flopped around on Strikedramon's back until he got himself upright and held around the dragon's chest. The boy laughed lightheartedly until they emerged from the manhole. He gasped in surprise to see all the kids who had gathered around. Even Atsushi was there at the front of the crowd. "It was a rogue Digimon," Ken announced to everyone. "We took care of it though, so no need to worry!"

Cheers and applause came from the crowd surrounding them, from kids and Digimon alike. "You took it out with just two Digimon?" came a girl's voice. "That's amazing!"

"How big was it?" a boy chimed in.

"I'll bet it was huge- like an Ultimate at least!"

"Good job," Atsushi said, grinning, hands on his hips. "Wish I could've seen it myself."

Ken looked around at all the kids cheering for them. "Oh... Oh, it was nothing, really. How big? Well... As big as my Strikedramon at least. He was a big, ugly yellow dragon. To be honest, though, I think it was only a Champion level." As Strikedramon climbed further out of the sewer, kids approached to help them out. A girl held Wormmon while four boys worked to hoist Strikedramon out by his belts. Two kids got a hold on Ken's arms to help him up as well, but one of them gripped the forgotten burn and Ken yelped, yanking his arm away from them.

Concern passed the faces of the others and one frowned. "We should get you looked at," Atsushi suggested. Some of the kids seemed confused as to why he'd need medical attention, but Atsushi just shook his head and went to help Ken without touching the problem area. Strikedramon finally climbed out once Ken was off his back.

Ken nodded. He gestured to the girl that he wanted his Wormmon back and promptly set the Digimon around his shoulders. "He made the cement blocks melt," Ken explained while guarding the wound. "Some of it landed on me. It hurt, but I didn't realize it would leave behind such a nasty burn."

Atsushi just nodded his head intently. "We don't really have a doctor here for obvious reasons, but there is a Digimon in the main office that might be able to help out a little." He waved a hand to get the crowd to disperse, and his Digimon emerged to help make a path for them. Atsushi led the way, waving his hand for Ken to follow and Strikedramon keeping close behind. The kids parted, allowing them a path to exit the crowd and head up towards the large building at the other end of the city. It was huge, and almost looked like a high-tech office building, with pristinely white walls and a main lobby that had the Digimon Online logo printed on the tile. Atsushi made a motion for Ken to wait as he approached the service desk, and started talking to a woman, an adult, with a headset and gray uniform on.

"Do you think we should really be using their facilities?" Ken asked Strikedramon while biting his lower lip.

"There isn't a place in Asuka meant for treating humans, so if Atsushi knows someone here who can help, it's best if we go with it," Strikedramon responded. Atsushi soon turned and waved for Ken to follow as he headed towards a huge set of mechanical double doors that slid open.

Ken had to hurry a little to catch up and get through the doors before they closed. "This isn't an inconvenience, is it?"

"Not at all," Atsushi said, shaking his head as they walked down the pristinely white hallways. "They wouldn't have a medic on hand if they didn't have facilities to do it."

As they turned into one of the rooms, they were greeted by a few more women in uniform and a Centarumon. "What happened?" he asked hooves clopping on the ground as he approached.

Ken took a nervous step back when Centarumon approached, but a gentle hand on his back from Atsushi made him move forward again. "We were fighting a rogue Digimon down in the sewers. He used an attack to make all the concrete blocks in the tunnel melt. It was dripping from the ceiling and well..." He held up his arm, showing the burn that was already starting to pus around the edges slightly. "It's starting to really hurt."

Centarumon approached, tail waving from side to side as he gently checked the boy's wound with his hand, the other, gun-like arm hanging at his side. "That's a nasty burn," he murmured. "Come over here," he said, leading Ken gently over to a cabinet where he kept his supplies. The Digimon began to quickly pull out the things he needed, and treated the burn surprisingly carefully for a Digimon with one metal hand.

Ken held his breath while Centarumon worked. He was terribly afraid the Digimon would fumble with his gun arm and slip, making the wound worse, but as the careful work continued, Ken let himself relax with a relieved sigh. A salve Centarumon used felt great on Ken's skin, taking the pain away almost instantly. "So... How often does this happen?"

"Not too much," Centarumon said answered. "Most of the kids here are just logged on and though they can feel pain, their bodies in their real world don't actually get hurt. But we have the occasional traveler... enough that I was called in from File City just in case."

Ken bit his lip. "Then... Then you know I'm not a player."

"I can tell just by looking at this burn," Centarumon responded.

Ken worried on his lip a bit more, teeth actually clamping the skin. "Is it that bad?"

"Nothing that won't heal... but if you were a player, you would have just logged off and back in... and then no more wound on your avatar."

"Oh, I see." Ken waited patiently until Centarumon was done. Antibiotics were applied and then his arm was wrapped in a bandage to keep it clean. "When can I take this off? A week? Two weeks?"

"I'm sure you may lose track of time here, but that's about right. Here," Centarumon said, handing over a roll of bandages. "Check up on it when the bandages get dirtied. It shouldn't be too long, but if it looks the least bit hurt, keep it wrapped."

Ken nodded. "Thank you very much. Um... Do I have to pay you?"

"No, not at all," Centarumon said, laughing. "Treating the Digimon here is my life's passion... but the occasional human isn't going to get a charge."

The boy laughed as well and smiled. "Well, thank you again." Ken bowed to Centarumon and left with Atsushi, returning to the initial room where Strikedramon and Wormmon were waiting. "All fixed up," he said and raised his arm to show them.

"It's a good thing they had someone here to help," Wormmon said, looking relieved.

Ken laughed gently. "Yeah, we don't have a poncho with infinite pockets full of random medical supplies anymore."

"So what are we going to do now?" Strikedramon asked, tail flicking from side to side. "It seems the city isn't totally safe from rogue Digimon attacks..."

"I think the Admins are going to start taking their own precautions now," Ken said with a nod. "We need to get out there and stop whoever is in charge. I'm almost positive that Digimon wouldn't have come rampaging in here had it not been provoked by the wave of war."

"You think that Digimon that attacked had to do with the war?" Atsushi asked.

"Even if he wasn't, he may be upset by what the war is causing. A Digimon like that might be easily provoked into rampage," Strikedramon responded with a shake of his head.

"We have to find the next officer and cut off their influence on any wild Digimon," Ken said. "Which means our stay here is over."

"Oh..." Atsushi murmured, frowning.

"But you just got here!" Monmon insisted. Even the silent Kotemon gave a small nod.

Atsushi gently hushed his Digimon. "Is there any chance you'd like some help?" he offered.

Ken blinked surprised. "Really? You... You mean it?"

"Yeah!" Atsushi said, smiling gently. "If there's any way we can help out, we'd be more than happy to. Right guys?"

"Right!" chimed Bearmon and Monmon, with another nod from Kotemon.

"Well, I mean, we might be going back to the other continents at some point. Are you even able to leave Asuka?" Ken asked.

"Well... no," Atsushi said, frowning. Still, his smile returned as he said, "But until you leave... We could help."

Ken suddenly felt Atsushi's hand on his arm as the offer was spoken. He looked down at the fingers gently touching his skin, just slightly, and then looked back at the other boy just in time to notice a warm glow in his eyes. "Ohhh..."

Atsushi's Digimon seemed to be looking on with held breath, Ken's only looking puzzled. "So?" Atsushi finally said, starting to look a little nervous himself.

Ken seemed hesitant to answer. "Atsushi... I don't... I don't think it would be a good idea."

"No?" Atsushi said, looking both surprised and let down at the same time. "Are you sure? We could really help the... fights go a lot easier, with the four of us behind you."

"Atsushi... I feel like you're looking for something that you aren't going to find here..."

Atsushi bit his lip and finally pulled his hand back. "I understand," he said quietly. "If things do get rough, though, you can still contact me."

"I'm sorry," Ken said sadly. He felt guilty, even though he didn't need to.

"It's alright," Atsushi said, managing a smile. "It can be wild out there, though. So I... thought I'd ask."

"I appreciate the offer. My Digimon will take good care of me." He offered a meek smile. "But... But I will hold on to your number. Just in case."

"Okay," Atsushi said, his forced smile becoming a little more genuine. "I probably won't be moving from here much, then. Hope you visit sometime."

Ken nodded. "We'll be back. Maybe you and I can play a round of cards." Not wanting to drag this out any longer, Ken bowed and waved, and then he left building, navigating his best towards the bridge leading to the forest.

Wormmon and Strikedramon followed behind him, the two of them with very different expressions. Strikedramon looked uncomfortable, while Wormmon just seemed confused. "Why didn't you want his help, Ken?" the little green Digimon finally decided to ask as they crossed over into the park.

"Because it was more than that," Ken replied. There was an ache in his chest. Ken's tender, kind heart was feeling rotten for declining Atsushi's feelings. "It was more than that..."

Wormmon still didn't seem to understand. He looked to Strikedramon for an answer, but the other Digimon was staring out across the man-made lake instead of in front of him. "Are you going to be okay, Ken?" Wormmon opted to ask instead.

"I'm just stupid," Ken answered and shook his head.

"Stupid? Why?" Wormmon pressed. He looked around, noticing that the place was pretty empty thanks to the quake. He climbed up onto his boy's shoulder, trying to observe his face better.

"I should have seen it! All the touching, giving me his number, his excessive charm..." Ken sighed, frustrated with himself. "I should have known better. It was brief, but... He felt the need to flirt with me. It wasn't just about helping us, Wormmon. It was about spending more time with me. About chances to get closer. I'm an idiot..."

Wormmon seemed a bit taken aback by it, but looking at Strikedramon again, he realized that he was the last one to notice. "Oh, I see..."

"I don't even know what he saw in me." He picked Wormmon off his shoulder and pushed the insect into Strikedramon's arms. "I'm a wreck..." Ken mumbled and walked ahead of the Digimon. Wormmon's antenna drooped so much that they just fell limp at his sides. Strikedramon looked down at Wormmon, and the green Digimon wriggled himself loose and dropped down to the ground to walk on his own instead of being carried by the still silent dragon man. So, the two just fell into step behind Ken, Wormmon's eyes on the ground and Strikedramon's head apparently somewhere else entirely. Finally, after a full solid hour of silence, Ken spun on his heels, eyes directly on Strikedramon. "You weren't going to say _anything_?"

Strikedramon and Wormmon both stopped, surprised at the sudden outburst. "What was I supposed to say?" Strikedramon said, after a moment of what was presumably staring.

Ken rolled his eyes. "I don't know. Maybe that it _bothered_ you? You could have warned me what he was doing. Something!"

"I wasn't expecting him to make a move after two days," Strikedramon answered. "And while it was happening, there wasn't much I could say without it sounding weird- and besides, you handled it fine, didn't you?"

"That isn't the point!" Ken exclaimed and threw his hands up. "What about at the inn? What about the last hour? You can't tell me you didn't feel anything!"

Strikedramon didn't seem to know what to say to that, letting out a long breath and his tail twitching irritably. "I'm sorry, Ken. I wasn't expecting that."

Ken groaned. "You still aren't getting it. Whatever," he grumbled and started walking again. Strikedramon didn't bother to answer. Something seemed to be on his mind and trying to explain himself to Ken was not at the top of his list of things to do. So the silence prevailed once again as they continued to walk through the forest. It had started sparse, like the park, at first, but the trees were slowly starting to grow closer together, leaving a very straight-forward path for them to follow.

"You boys look so down," a voice sang from somewhere in the trees. 

"Maybe we should cheer them up," sang another. 

"What a wonderful idea!" Ken looked over both his shoulders and turned in a circle trying to find the source of the voices, but whoever they were, they did a good job of blending in. The Digimon stopped, looking up into the trees as well. Strikedramon's tail came to a stop and he started to growl, approaching the side of the path he thought the voices were coming from.

"Oh sister! Do you see what I see?" 

There came a soft gasp. "I do see! So the rumors are true!" 

"A beautiful young boy is traveling with a dragon that was once the Legendary Tamer!" 

Ken blushed, but his expression wasn't so tender. "B-Beautiful?"

"Rumors?" Strikedramon said, putting a stop to the growl coming from his throat.

"Sisters! Sisters! Come see!" beckoned both voices at once. Almost immediately following their call was the sound of wings fluttering and playful giggles. 

"Who is that?"

"Is that him?"

"It is!"

"Look, it's really him!"

"How exciting!"

"How long has it been?"

"Far too long I'd say."

"Perhaps we should go down."

"Do you think he'll be happy to see us?"

"Well of course he will!" That's when a score of Lillymon and Lilamon came floating down from the trees. They all congregated around Strikedramon, cooing and giggling and touching him. "Ryo!"

"Ryo!"

"You were away so long!"

"But now you're back!"

Strikedramon backed away from the trees, only to find his back against a tree on the other side of the path. "Oh... uh... hi, ladies," the dragon man greeted a bit awkwardly, unable to shy away from the hands and petals that kept touching at him no matter how much he tried. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"What took you so long?" a Lillymon asked as she wrapped her arms around his. 

A Lilamon nodded and brushed her petals over his shoulder. "Yes, and where have you been?"

"Well... uh, as you guys can see, I'm kind of not myself right now..." Strikedramon started. He at once regretted it though, because this excuse backfired when he used it on Mermaimon, and he realized it as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

They all giggled. "Your body might have changed," said a Lilamon. 

"But you're still the same Ryo to us!" said another. 

Ken frowned deeply from where he stood a little ways off. "Great, more women," he grumbled. Certainly not in the mood to deal with this or listen to Ryo's excuses, the boy simply turned and walked away. 

"You should come to the abbey!" a Lillymon exclaimed. "The Lady Rosemon will be so happy to see you! Oh! Mother Lotosmon will want to meet you, too! We told her all about you after she came back!" All the other Lillymon and Lilamon made happy sounds of agreement for the idea.

Wormmon looked alarmed by the situation, but when he realized that Ken was walking away, he quickly began to follow. "I can't," Strikedramon said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm traveling with someone right now..."

"They can come too!" offered the Lillymon holding his arm and beginning to tug gently. "We want to meet any friends of yours!"

"Well he's..." Strikedramon turned to point, but then realized that Ken and Wormmon were heading further down the path. "Walking away..." he finished, a bit more quietly.

"Oh?" Lillymon looked over her shoulder at the pair. "Do you want us to get them for you?" she asked.

"No, if... if they don't want to go..." Strikedramon started, though didn't quite finish, still feeling a little saddened as he watched the pair get farther away.

"Ryo..." began one of the Lilamon, "why are you sad? We'll get them for you. It'll be really easy!" 

A Lillymon fluttered her wings happily. "I'll do it!" she chimed and took off after the boy and the insect.

"Wait!" Strikedramon yelped after her, but she was already determinedly creeping up on Ken and his voice was drowned out by the others happily starting to talk to him again as they pulled him towards the trees.

Lillymon spread her arms wide. "Flower Wreath!" she exclaimed playfully. Suddenly, two vines shot out from beneath her petaled sleeves. Ken barely had time to look over his shoulder before he was tangled in the green ropes and flowers. Wormmon tried to attack, but she had him wound up just as quickly. "Ryo wants you to come to the abbey, too!" she said cheerfully before lifting them both into her arms. 

"Wait till you see it," said a Lilamon to Strikedramon. "We've made lots of add ons. It's so much bigger now!" 

Two Lillymon nodded. "We have so many new sisters, too!" they both said.

Strikedramon watched a bit worriedly as the Lillymon flew overhead with Ken and Wormmon. "I'm sure you're all doing great..." Unable to break away from the huge group, he started to walk on his own two feet so he wasn't being pushed and pulled by all of the flowery Digimon so much. "Have you been safe since I saw you all last?"

They all giggled. "Of course we have!" said a Lilamon. "Mother Lotosmon keeps us safe from all kinds of danger!" 

"Like that big, mean, old Cyclonemon!" added one of the Lillymon.

"You all know about Cyclonemon?" Strikedramon asked, looking surprised. "Did he come by here?"

She blinked, also surprised. "Well of course he did. He _is_ the Major for that nasty Infection movement. We give sanctuary to any Digimon who don't want to be in the war, Virus and Vaccine alike. I guess he didn't take too kindly to that idea."

"He was the Major?" Strikedramon said, looking a bit shocked. "Wow... what were the chances."

They all gasped in wonderment. "You fought him?"

"Yeah, he attacked Asuka City this morning," Strikedramon said with a nod. "He was in the sewers, making the whole city shake."

"Then you must be going after Minotarumon now!" they all chimed at once in a chorus.

"Well, we were looking for the next officer..." Strikedramon murmured, giving another nod. "Where can we find Minotarumon?"

"In Protocol Ruins!"

"Oh!" Strikedramon quickly looked over his shoulder, back towards the path. "That's just a bit deeper into this forest, isn't it?"

"It is!" they chimed together again. 

"Let us feed you, though!" said Lilamon. 

"And give you a place to sleep for the night!" added another. 

Meanwhile, overhead, Lillymon was struggling with Ken. "Please, if you keep moving around so much, I might drop you..." 

"I don't care!" the boy shouted as he tried to break free of the vines. "Put me down!"

Wormmon was trying to wriggle free as well, but his struggle was even less fruitless. "Oh, but we should really be getting to the ruins, if he's so close by..." Strikedramon insisted.

"He'll be there tomorrow," one Lillymon insisted right back. 

"P-Please..." whined the flower fairy flying above them. 

Ken turned his body roughly in an attempt to get loose. "No! Let me go now!" he demanded. Another sharp turn of his body saw Ken fall from her arms. He hit the ground hard with a rather loud thud followed by a cry of pain, having landed on the already wounded arm. 

"Oh dear!" all the fairies gasped in unison.

"Ken!" Strikedramon and Wormmon yelled in unison. Wormmon started to struggle harder, though he wasn't nearly as heavy as Ken and Lillymon had no trouble holding him. Strikedramon tried to pry his way through the circle of girls, excusing himself to get to Ken.

A collection of Lilamon beat Strikedramon to it as they gathered around the human. "Are you okay?"

"That was quite a fall."

"There's blood on those bandages!"

"We should fix those." 

"No, stay away from me!" Ken shouted at them. He finally got the vines loose enough that he tore himself free completely. "I don't want to go anywhere with you or _him! _So just leave me alone!" 

"You need to relax," the Lilamon sang harmoniously. Each one began to sway and twirl elegantly, sweeping their arms up and down. "Un Duex Pollen," they all sang in a round.

"Wait!" Strikedramon said, but too late. The Lilamon scattered pollen from their hands, and he swallowed dryly, waiting to see what would happen. He knew that Lilamon could spread poison from those flower-shaped hands on theirs, but he didn't know what that attack did.

Ken was about to lash out at them again, but the pollen was inhaled quickly in his rage. Suddenly he didn't feel much of anything. Ken swayed on his feet as his eyes struggled to stay open, and then he was gone. "Whoopsie!" giggled a Lilamon as she caught the boy under his arms. "Don't want a head bump."

Strikedramon's jaw dropped. "What did you guys do?" he asked quickly, concern rising as the Lilamon picked Ken up like a rag doll.

"He's only asleep," one explained. 

Another nodded. "He should wake up in an hour or two."

Strikedramon let out a thankful breath at that. "Alright, good..." Without much of a choice with Ken now asleep, and probably needing medical attention thanks to the drop, he continued to follow the fairy Digimon to the abbey.


	23. The Abbey

At the abbey, Strikedramon and Ken were taken inside where everything was made of pale violet, pink, purple, and white flowers, and red roses. There was one room where all the fairies seemed to congregate. A room that was just full of petals like a vast blanket of pastel softness. Once Strikedramon walked through the door, dozens more Lillymon and Lilamon fluttered around. 

"Ryo!" 

"Yoohoo, Ryo!" 

"Come sit with us. Tell us a story." 

"Yes, a story about File Island!" 

"I want to hear about Folder!" 

"No, Server!"

Strikedramon wanted to make sure Ken was going to be alright, but he was swarmed as soon as he walked in, and just managed to glance the Lilamon holding Ken fluttering off with the Lillymon holding Wormmon. Sighing defeated, he managed to put a smile on for the rest of the girls. "Alright, let's sit..." he said, laughing slightly as he was practically yanked into the room.

"Who's that?" asked one of the Lillymon who spotted the pale boy in her Sister's arms.

"That's Ken," Strikedramon explained. "We've been traveling together for the past few months."

"Ken?" she repeated confusedly. "That's a funny name for a girl." 

"A girl?" cried the fairies. 

"What are you doing with a girl?"

"Who is she?"

"How do you know her?"

"Where did she come from?"

"Is she from that game compound on the edge of the woods?"

"Did you meet her there?"

"Why is she with you?"

"Where are you going?"

"Can she really leave the game grounds?"

"You aren't her partner are you?"

"She knows you're really a human, too, right?"

"Maybe he hasn't told her!"

"What?"

"Why wouldn't you tell her, Ryo?"

"Whoah, whoah, calm down!" Strikedramon said, waving his hands quickly. "He's not a girl, Ken's a boy! I know him from the real world, and yes, he knows I'm really human."

Some of the flower Digimon looked over at the sleeping Ken and then back at Strikedramon. "Are you sure that's a boy?" one asked. 

"She has such long hair." 

"Yeah, and a pretty face." 

"And her body looks like a girl's body, too." 

"That's a girl, Ryo."

"He's a boy, trust me," Strikedramon said with a small laugh. "We grew up together, I should know."

"Tell us about that!" said a Lilamon. 

"No! Tell us why you're traveling together!"

"Well, we were trying to find a gate to get Ken back home, but now we're trying to stop this war that's going on," Strikedramon explained. "We're going to be going to Protocal Ruins to face Minotarumon next."

"You're fighting in the war?" some of the fairies cried worriedly. 

"But you used to be so peaceful!" 

"You aren't part of the Infection, are you?" 

"Well he's going after the Vaccine Major..." 

"Ryo, how could you?"

"We're not fighting in the war!" Strikedramon said, shaking his head. "We're fighting to stop the war."

A Lillymon in his lap sighed. "Oh thank goodness..." 

"I knew it couldn't be true!" said a Lilamon as she hugged around his neck. 

"Do you know where the other officers are after this?" asked another Lillymon.

"No, we don't... we've just been going by word of mouth," Strikedramon explained. "Do you girls have any idea?"

"The Lady Rosemon know!" they all chimed together.

"Oh! Well... I'll be sure to ask them when come down here, then." Strikedramon's tail twitched and he glanced over at Ken, briefly wondering if the boy would want him to be around when he awoke. "Actually, can I talk to them now?" he asked. "We should let Ken rest."

"It's okay, we'll get them for you!" said some Lilamon. Before Strikedramon could even attempt to protest, they swooped out of the room. 

The Lillymon in Strikedramon's lap laid her head on his chest and put her hand on his shoulder. "We should have known you'd be fighting to stop the war." 

"If anybody can do it, you can," said a Lilamon who leaned against his arm. "You're wonderful, Ryo." 

"Wonderful," sighed all the other fairies who were sitting, lying, or hovering around him.

"Th-thanks, ladies," Strikedramon said, stammering a little despite himself. This situation had been weird the first time he got roped into staying with the fairy Digimon, but at least this time he wasn't so short that they were all bigger than him. That was even more awkward.

The doors opened a few minutes later, letting the Lilamon fly back in first. Right behind them were three Rosemon. Each looked identical from the other two, but that didn't limit their power and authority in the abbey. "Legendary Tamer," they all said in unison, their voices smoother and more eloquent than their fairy underlings.

"So good..." "To see..." "You again..." they said one after the other, again their voices flowing evenly into each other to speak one coherent sentence.

Strikedramon was allowed by the fairies around him to stand, and bowed when he got to his feet. "It's nice to see you all, too. I'm glad to see this place has been flourishing."

"Thank you..." "You are..." "Too kind," the Rosemon said and bowed in return. "We have been told..." "That you are fighting..." "To stop the war."

"Yes, that's true," Strikedramon said, nodding. "My friend and I have traveled a long way, dealing with officers on both sides to try and end the conflict."

"How many of the..." "Officers have you come..." "Up against so far?"

"Six of them so far," Strikedramon said. "Cyclonemon just attacked Asuka City this morning."

"You started..." "With the..." "Lieutenants, correct?" they asked.

"Yes, and we've been slowly moving up the ranks." Strikedramon nodded as he spoke. "So there are only two more ranks left."

The Rosemon standing in the middle of the trio gestured for Strikedramon to step forward. "Wingdramon is the officer you seek next," "Legendary Tamer. You will find him at..." "Gale Tower amongst the Airdramon living there."

Strikedramon stepped towards them as he was silently asked to. "Wingdramon..." he said quietly, memorizing the name.

"Once you defeat Wingdramon, you will..." "Need to seek out the Generals." "They are the strongest and more..." "Ruthless than any of their officers." "Gaiomon, leader of the Infection, can..." "Be found in the Dark Area." "Alphamon, leader of the Cleansing, can..." "Be found at the Holy Capitol." "Unfortunately, not even we know where..." "To find such place. We're sorry."

"That's alright. I know that the Holy Capitol is near impossible to find," Strikedramon said with a thankful nod. "Knowing where to find the other three is a great help."

Each of the Rosemon bowed their heads to him with a smile. "Is there..." "Anything else..." "You need?"

Strikedramon thought for a few moments, and he suddenly got an idea. The Rosemon knew this continent like the back of their hands, perhaps they would know if something was hidden on it. "Would any of you happen to know about an object called... the DigiEgg of Kindness?"

"Perhaps, what type..." "Of Digimon hatches..." "From this DigiEgg?"

"No Digimon hatches from it," Strikedramon explained, shaking his head. "It's an elemental object used for Digivolution. We've been searching for it throughout our travels, since Ken is its proper bearer." Strikedramon gestured to the sleeping boy when he said this.

Each Rosemon shook her head in perfect unison with the others. "No, we are sorry, we have not heard of..." "Such an egg. If your friend is the proper..." "Bearer, it will show itself to him eventually, though."

"Alright," Strikedramon murmured, nodding his head. He didn't think he'd be so lucky, but it didn't hurt to ask. "Thank you anyway, for all of your help," he finished, bowing again.

"Do you seek..." "Any council with..." "Our Mother Lotosmon?

"I was told she might like to speak to me," Strikedramon answered. "If that's so, I'll do so gladly."

They smiled. "Please follow..." "Us then..." "Legendary Tamer." Strikedramon swallowed, but nodded and went to follow the three Rosemon, filing out after them. The Lady Rosemon led Strikedramon up an elegant spiral staircase to one of the uppermost sanctums. They stopped just outside a set of wooden doors. "Best of luck, Legendary Tamer." "We will pray for you." "Be safe on your journey." Two Rosemon kissed his cheeks and the third Rosemon kissed the nose of his helmet. With that, they left him to enter the sanctum on his own. Strikedramon took a deep breath inwards, tail twitching as the Rosemon kissed him and left. He calmed himself before knocking as gently as he could with his large hand.

"Enter," called a very calm, smooth, feminine voice from within. The doors opened to reveal a dimly lit room. Small lotus flowers floated in bowls of oil with lit candles in their center. Much larger blossoms floated in what looked like a baptismal fountain which babbled ever so softly. Lotosmon herself was seated on an altar, kneeling on a white cushion that could easily fit two Strikedramon lying head to foot.

Strikedramon carefully entered the room, looking amazed at its interior. He had never been this far up in the towers. His gaze then traveled to Lotosmon. She was even taller than the Rosemon. Strikedramon could tell even though she was kneeling. She had pale purple skin and wore a bodice of darker purple. A skirt of white flared out from her hips, much like the white arm warmers, both resembling lotuses. She was adorned in strands of gold with green jewels. Up on the wall were two staffs that must have belonged to her, one in silver with a rainbow-colored flower on its tip, the other two golden wings and snakes encircling the rod, one black, one white. Not sure what he should do, Strikedramon got down on one knee and bowed his head, saying, "Thank you for seeing me, Mother Lotosmon."

"I must apologize for my absence during your last visit. I was with our Piddomon Brothers at their monastery." She smiled kindly. "I heard a lot about you when I returned home. My girls loved having you here."

Strikedramon smiled slightly, gently closing the door behind him. When it shut, the only light were from the candles, and he was able to notice a gentle blue glow surrounding Lotosmon. "They were very hospitable towards me and Cyberdramon. I hope they delivered my message of thanks to you when you returned."

"They certainly did." Lotosmon laughed politely. "I see you and your Cyberdramon are traveling together in a very different way this time."

"Yes, we... had a bit of trouble," Strikedramon said, scratching at the back of his head. "We merged together to battle, but did not separate like we were supposed to after getting hit hard with an attack."

"Is it permanent?" she inquired.

"It... shouldn't be... We're hoping that if I can return to the Mega stage, where we combined, I may be able to split apart from him, if we do it properly."

Lotosmon smiled. "Well, that's certainly good news. Are you traveling alone?"

"No, I have two companions... a boy from my world named Ken, and his partner, Wormmon." Strikedramon gestured back towards the door. "They are sleeping downstairs now."

She tilted her head slightly. "A boy you say?" Lotosmon's hidden eyes stared at the dragon man in silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "There's a sadness in your heart, Legendary Tamer. Over this boy?"

Strikedramon's tail twitched. He slowly got down into a kneeling position, opposite Lotosmon. "I suppose you could say that," Strikedramon murmured. "We've fought."

"Recently, I take it?"

"Just before we arrived here," Strikedramon answered.

"I see," she said with a nod. "About what? It obviously upset you."

Strikedramon's tail twitched again. "He seems to be unhappy with me... because I noticed someone was interested in him, but didn't seem bothered."

"Why would he care if it bothered you? Surely he's free to make his own relationships."

"We're sort of..." Strikedramon stopped, looking a bit uncomfortable, clasping his large hands on his knees. "It's a bit complicated, is all."

"It isn't that complicated at all," Lotosmon insisted. "You're a human, after all. You can't get rid of your heart or your feelings simply because of a merge with your Digimon. Were you bothered by this third person?"

"Yeah... a bit," Strikedramon admitted. "But there isn't much I can do or say. Everything should be up to Ken in the end, not me. It isn't my place to be jealous, but he's mad at me for not being."

Coral painted lips fell into a frown. "Not your place to be jealous? Of course it is. If you like this boy the way I can see that you do, it would be a normal reaction. Did Ken go with this third person?"

"No, he... he said no," Strikedramon answered.

"Well, then everything _was_ up to Ken and it sounds like he chose you all on his own."

"Yes, he did..." Strikedramon just sighed, shoulders slumping. "It's just strange for me."

"Because of you body?" she asked, trying to find the root of the problem.

"Partially," Strikedramon said with a nod. "But even without this... I'm still not quite sure how I feel about the whole thing."

"Is there another?" Lotosmon asked. "It's all right if there is."

"This girl from a dimension I lived in for a while," Strikedramon tried to explain. "I really liked her. I thought we might even... get married one day. But I... couldn't stay in that dimension."

Lotosmon was quiet, but only briefly before she nodded. "I understand marriage comes from a powerful love," she said. "It's perfectly acceptable for you to have a hard time giving that love up. Especially if you ever had hopes of seeing her again. You two could even live in the Digital World together if she chose to do so."

"It was a possibility... but I couldn't ask her to leave her family to live here. Even if it wasn't a place so dangerous as the Digital World- even if I offered to take her to my home dimension. She has a family and friends in hers." His tail fell to the ground, gently wrapping around his legs. "I know it's better this way, but it's so hard to give up."

"Don't give up so easily. Asuka City is a safe grounds. You could build a life there. As I understand it, humans are capable of traveling home whenever they wish," the Mega Digimon offered. "I've even heard of portals."

"Asuka City was just attacked this morning," Strikedramon said, shaking his head. "And I wouldn't want to bring up a child in a realm of digital avatars... nor would I want to have to stay here while my family goes off to another dimension to visit family and friends... it just... doesn't feel right."

Lotosmon nodded. "You're very noble to want a normal life for her. So tell me, Legendary Tamer, what can this Ken boy offer you that's any different?"

"Ken comes from the dimension I'm meant to live in," Strikedramon explained. "I can go back there with him, and things can be normal."

"That hardly seems like the life you desire, though," she observed.

"I just don't know how I feel about going home. After all this time..." Strikedramon's shoulders slumped a bit more. "And it's hard to give up the vision of a perfect life I thought I was going to have. But it's just not going to work. I can't live in that world."

Lotosmon nodded. "No one is forcing you to go home, dear."

"I either have to live here, or go home," Strikedramon murmured, shaking his head. "I have no other choice."

"Where are you most comfortable?"

"Here, I guess, but... I should want to go home, shouldn't I?" he asked, rather than said. "I should want to see my family and friends again."

"Should is a strong word, Legendary Tamer. Should is also an unfair word when thrown at you by other people. I cannot tell you what you should or should not do. If I was to give you my opinion, and only my opinion, I would think you should stay here in the Digital World where you have established a life for yourself. You are very well known and accepted in this world. To go back to your own world would mean starting over again and that takes a strength not all men possess."

He considered Lotosmon's words carefully. He nodded his head, then bowed it. "Thank you. Gaining another perspective is... always invaluable."

Lotosmon smiled kindly at him again. "Just remember, Legendary Tamer, the choice is always yours to make. No one can force you."

"Yes... that I know," he said, lifting his head back up. "I just wish I knew what choice I want to make."

"If you wish," she began to offer, "You may use one of our sanctums for meditation. Perhaps some silence and solitude will help you to focus on your own thoughts and feelings."

Strikedramon seemed surprised by the offer, but gave another bow of thanks. "I'd like that, thank you, Mother Lotosmon." That was when he stood, slowly getting to his feet to the sound of his claws clicking on the stone floor. "It sounds like just what I need."

"Take as long as you need," Lotosmon said. "I hope your journey is blessed and fruitful, and that you are able to choose your path."

"Thank you," Strikedramon answered. With that, he turned to leave, gently opening the door before heading off down the stairs to one of the lower sanctums.

Ken woke up over an hour later. He sat up with a groan and rubbed his head. "Where...?" Indigo eyes swept the room, taking in all the hard to miss flower petals. Then he saw all the Lillymon and Lilamon doing chores, talking, playing, sleeping, or laughing. "Oh hell no," Ken whispered through another groan.

"Ken!" Wormmon was sitting at his boy's bedside, antenna perking up when he heard Ken's voice. "Oh, thank goodness you're awake."

"Yeah... Yeah, and now that I am, we're leaving," Ken said as he got up, trying to get his balance back.

"Are you okay to travel, Ken?" Wormmon asked, looking a little worried.

Ken nodded. "I'm fine. I just need to shake it off. C'mon, let's go," he said and headed for the doors.

"Ken... Ken!" Wormmon hurried after him, grabbing him by the pant leg. "What about Ryo?"

"We don't need Ryo," Ken replied quietly. "You and I will do this on our own. We'll take down the officers ourselves, find a way home, and leave Ryo here. I'm sure he prefers it that way anyway."

"Ken..." Wormmon would have frowned. Instead of looking sad and falling quiet, this time, he looked stern. "Ken, you're not thinking with your better judgment. That's a bad idea and you know it."

Ken looked down at his Digimon. "Wormmon, don't even give me that. You've seen how distant he's been getting. Ever since the Continent of Darkness, he stopped opening up to me. He's always thinking about something else. Ryo won't even talk about us. I know it's hard for him, but it's hard for me too! He keeps avoiding the subject and now I know why. Look around!" Ken said and gestured to the flower fairies. "Almost everywhere we go there are women Ryo has spent time with. Intimate time with! At least on some level or another. Ryo likes girls! He likes Lillymon, he likes Lilamon, he likes Mermaimon, and he loves Rika! I'm done trying! I know he wants to stay here in the Digital World, so let's just let him!"

"Did he ever say any of those things, Ken?" Wormmon responded, crossing his front two claws. "You of all people should know what it's like to be a victim of circumstance and twisted stories, Ken. Not to mention not being able to explain yourself due to evil influences." He then pointed one of his claws up at his boy. "If Ryo didn't want to be with you on this trek, he wouldn't be. He would have let you go home through a gate on File Island and wouldn't have allowed you to come with him this far."

"It's not about the friendship, Wormmon! It's about the relationship he's made feel possible, but now he's slowing taking it all back! I won't go through that again!" Ken gripped the front of his shirt in a tight fist. "It can't be Davis all over again!"

"Ken..." Wormmon dropped his claw, now just looking sad. "Have some sympathy. He's being consumed."

Ken opened his mouth to speak, but any words just died away. The boy slumped to the floor and buried his face in his knees. "I didn't want it to be this hard..."

Wormmon sighed, nodding his head understandingly and gently patting his boy's leg. "I know, Ken..."

"What if... What if all of this is a sign, Wormmon? What if I'm not supposed to be with him? What if history is just going to repeat itself? He and I save the Digital World again, only for me to be thrown from it once more and lose him a second time. Maybe even to never see him again."

"At least this way you can say you tried, Ken," Wormmon warbled. "If you just quit... you're guaranteeing your loss. And you'll never know what might've been."

Ken drew his knees closer to his chest. "I just don't want to get hurt again..." he whimpered.

Wormmon nodded his head. "But is it worth just giving up, Ken?"

"I guess... I guess I would hate to always be wondering..."

Wormmon's antenna perked up slightly. "And... and you've come this far, Ken." Ken just nodded silently. "C'mon, Ken," Wormmon prompted, tugging on his boy's pant leg again. "Let's find Ryo and leave together."

Ken nodded again. It was easy to leave without the Lilamon or Lillymon noticing. Ken got the impression that they didn't care too much for him being there. After some time of searching, he finally found Strikedramon in one of the sanctums. Ken opened the door slightly, just enough to let himself be seen. When he saw Strikedramon in meditation, he just leaned against the door, watching and wondering what the dragon was meditating on. Strikedramon was perfectly still as he meditated. Not a single muscle moved. His tail didn't even twitch. Wormmon watched from around Ken's feet. There were only candles lighting the room, like most of the rooms in the abbey, but the flickering lights didn't seem to affect the dragon man. He was so still it almost seemed like he wasn't breathing. "Maybe we shouldn't bother him," whispered Ken.

Suddenly, Strikedramon's tail twitched and he looked over his shoulder at the two. "Come in," he offered in a quiet, calm voice. Ken took an unsure step backward, but he thought about it again and moved inside, allowing the door to close behind him. Ken didn't venture inside very far. His goal was still to give Strikedramon his space in here. "You can sit with me, if you like," Strikedramon said, turning his head back and settling his tail on the ground again.

"I... I wouldn't want to disturb you," Ken insisted meekly.

"It's fine," Strikedramon said. "I'm not so easily distracted. Come," he said, tapping the spot next to him with the metal tip of his tail.

"I'm not even enough to distract you, huh?" Ken murmured under his breath, but went to sit beside the dragon man anyway. Strikedramon fell quiet again. His hands were in his lap, two of the three fingers curled together to touch his claws, making small circles. Wormmon came up on Ken's other side, watching a bit curiously. Experimentally, he touched his own claws together and closed his eyes. Ken didn't attempt to meditate. He saw no point. All he wanted to do was clear his mind, and not in a Zen sort of way. Ken didn't want to think about bad things or good things or even neutral things, because no matter what he started with, one thing always led to another and the boy had no desire to go wherever his mind would take him.

Silence prevailed for a while. It was hard to tell how many minutes passed in the candle-lit room, but suddenly, Strikedramon began to speak again. "I spoke to Lotosmon some hours ago. She runs this place," he chose to say.

"Oh?" Ken replied. "I'm sure that was... special for you. A private audience."

Strikedramon could sense an edge in Ken's voice, but in his state of clarity, he chose to ignore it. "She spoke to me about what path I could be taking now," he continued. "She said I should do what makes me happiest... and suggested that I live in the Digital World for the rest of my life. As I have been for so many years."

Ken tensed, but he forced himself to relax with a deep breath. "I've thought about that before... for you. I mean, you have a life here, Ryo. Why should you leave it behind?"

"I considered that," Strikedramon answered. "I could probably spend the rest of my years fighting. Helping others, who know me as a legend, and... once I separate from Cyberdramon, pretty much invincible." He hummed, but then shook his head. "But I don't think I want that life."

"No?" Ken asked surprised, yet softly. He actually turned his head to look at Strikedramon now. "Will you go back to Rika?" he asked. It was a valid curiosity and a question he was allowed to ask. "If you want to, you should..."

Strikedramon shook his head. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't." His tail tapped on the stone floor, like the ticking of a clock. Rhythmic and a little unsettling. "I have two options... I could stay in the Digital World, surviving only because of the grace of my immortality... ripping my body and soul to shreds for the sake of destiny... or I could go home." He turned his head towards Ken then, halting his tail. "I think I would like the latter."

Ken felt his heart jump into his throat and constrict with every tap of the tail against the floor. Until it stopped, that is. Ken looked into Strikedramon's face for a moment before smiling. He wouldn't make this about him. "Your parents will be so happy to see you, Ryo. I think you'll be happy with them again. More than you probably even realize."

"I don't think I was really thinking about it... because I've been away for so long," Strikedramon said softly. "I've lived here for so many years... I almost forgot that they were real."

"They are real, Ryo. You'll have a life with them again as father, mother and son. It's a wonderful experience. You'll fall right back into the role for sure. And... And I'll get to go home to mine."

Strikedramon nodded his head, turning to look back at whatever it was upon the wall he was focusing on. "And once I go back, as a human again... we can work on this. The proper way," he said, his tail curling around Ken's waist. "Is that alright?"

Ken gasped softly and touched the scales of the tail. "Really? You... You honestly want to try being with me?"

"Yeah," Strikedramon answered. There was a red creeping out from beneath his helmet that showed that he was staring at the wall not for his own Zen, but simply because he was embarrassed. "Just... when I'm human again. Okay?"

Slender fingers pressed a little closer to Strikedramon's tail. "It's okay, it's just... really hard to wait. So... I'm sorry for being such a brat."

Strikedramon smiled slightly. "I wouldn't call it that," he said, shaking his head. "But regardless... apology accepted. Just... please be patient with me, Ken, and I promise I'll return the favor."

Ken nodded with his own small smile. "I'll try. No... I-I will. I will, Ryo."

Content with the answer and smiling warmly, Strikedramon saw it fit to bring up what else he had learned. "Rosemon told me where most of the remaining officers are," he said, voice still quiet but a bit more serious now.

"Yeah?" Ken asked quietly. "That's... very helpful."

"The only thing they didn't know is where the Holy Capitol is, but... I didn't expect them to." Strikedramon's tail wriggled a little in Ken's grasp, coiling around him a bit more. "So, it seems our next stop is Protocal Ruins."

"Ruins, huh?" Ken scooted closer as the tail wrapped around him. The wall had only been between them briefly, but he was glad it finally came down. "That sounds dangerous. Ruins are very fragile."

"That's true," Strikedramon said with a nod. "If we can manage to coax Minotarumon outside, we'll have a much easier time of fighting him."

The boy swallowed and pet his hand along Strikedramon's tail. "Is Minotarumon a Vaccine or a Virus?"

"He's a Virus... and very dangerous," Strikedramon murmured. "He's Ultimate level, and he's probably as big as Stingmon and I standing on each other's shoulders. We're going to have to be very careful."

"You'll lose control..." Ken murmured sadly with his head turned down.

"Yes..." Strikedramon said, nodding his head. "And... if I manage to Digivolve come tomorrow, we may not be able to speak again for a while."

Slender fingers twitched against purple scales. "I don't want that, Ryo..."

"I know, Ken, but it has to happen sooner or later. I can't get back to being Justimon without being Cyberdramon for a while."

Ken wrapped his arms around the dragon man's waist and held tightly. "I hate this. It's not fair to me, and it's so... so unfair to you... You didn't deserve this..."

"That's fate for you, Ken... it's never fair," Strikedramon sighed, shrugging his shoulders and resting one of his arms over Ken's side. "But the best you can do is just try and survive."

"I know, but... I'm still allowed to hate it, aren't I?"

"I suppose you can," Strikedramon murmured, nodding his head. "If it helps."

"I feel less like a victim... so long as I'm not complacent with it..." Ken admitted quietly.

Strikedramon nodded his head. "I understand that."

Ken forced a slight smile. "Just don't do anything crazy, all right?"

"I'll try my best," Strikedramon said with a small forced laugh of his own. "No promises, but I'll... certainly try."

"Thanks," Ken said as he nestled his head in Strikedramon's lap.

"Would you like to spend the night here, or get moving again, Ken?" Strikedramon asked, voice still quiet. "I'll let you decide."

Ken bit his lip while he thought. "I really don't want to be here..."

"We can leave, if you want," Strikedramon said. "There's an inn in these woods... it may just take us past sundown to reach it."

Ken nodded. "We have just enough money for one more night. After that, we camp under the stars again," he said.

"Sounds good to me," Strikedramon answered with a nod. "And Ken..." he added before the boy could escape. "I'll have you know that _this,_" he said, gesturing to the meditation room, "Is why I visited here the first time."

"I... I don't doubt that," Ken said. An attempt to wriggle free was made, but Strikedramon's tail had him pretty good. "Ryo..." the boy laughed.

Strikedramon smirked then. "C'mon Ken, you can get out of this," he teased.

"Not when you keep tightening!" he cried with another laugh.

"I'm not doing anything," Strikedramon whistled innocently, smirking as his tail coiled around the boy like a snake.

"Then your tail must really like me, because it's looking to get very close and personal," replied Ken as he wriggled fruitlessly about.

"Oh? Look at that, it does like you," Strikedramon hummed, still grinning an uncontrollable, toothy grin. "Have you been secretly seeing my tail, Ken? You should tell me about this sort of thing."

Ken giggled. "We were going to surprise you," he explained.

"Please don't tell me you plan to elope with my tail," Strikedramon whined as he wiggled the tip about. "That could be literally quite painful for me."

"Well we had to do what was best for the children," Ken insisted, blowing at the tail's tip as his came closer to his face.

"Unfortunately, I think I may have to intervene," Strikedramon said, leaning over and suppressing snickers.

Ken paused in his squirming to face Ryo, biting his lip through a grin. "Oh really, now?"

"Yes, really," Strikedramon said, playfully grabbing the base of his own tail and now trying to yank it away from Ken.

The boy nibbled on his lower lip. "So, you really are able to feel jealous, then."

Strikedramon paused, and then released his tail. "Of course I am," he murmured. "I'm just not usually good at showing it."

Ken smiled sweetly. "The nerve of that guy, huh?" he huffed gently.

"He certainly was... bold," Strikedramon chose to say, though he offered a smile and added, "I can't really... blame him, though."

"No?" Ken finally managed to wriggle an arm free, which he then reached up with to pet Strikedramon's helmet.

"No," Strikedramon laughed, tail twitching a bit nervously. "I can't."

"And why is that?" the boy asked. "Both of you must see something I'm not so sure is really there."

"I suppose we do," Strikedramon murmured. "What I may see and what a new acquaintance may see... well, they're probably different. So I'll suppose he just thought you were cute," the dragon man said with a small laugh.

Ken blinked his eyes slowly. "Tell me what you see, Ryo, please? What makes me different from them? From the others?"

"I've known you for a long time, Ken," Strikedramon said quietly. "And you are one of the few people I remembered while I was away from new people to meet. When it came to kindness... fun... happiness... you were one I thought of."

Ken smiled shyly and blushed. "So... fond memories have given me a fond place in your heart."

"Yeah, you could say it like that," Strikedramon said, nodding his head and smiling shyly as well. Ken smiled sweetly now and gestured for Strikedramon to lower his head a little. When he did, the boy leaned up and kissed the Digimon's cheek. Strikedramon's scales stained a bit pink, and he lifted his head up quickly afterwards. "S-so, we should probably get some sleep before we go after Minotarumon," he said quickly, a toothy smile stretching over his maw.

"You said we didn't have to stay here," Ken insisted quietly. "I know all those fairies are going to want to sleep next to you. Don't put me through that, please?"

"Then we should get moving so we can find a good place to camp," Strikedramon said instead, nodding his head.

Ken nodded and slipped free from the tail that had slowly been loosening its hold on him. "You said there was an inn near by, right?"

"There should be, yeah," Strikedramon answered. "If we can find it. First we need to get back to the path."

"Then let's go." Ken looked down at Wormmon who still had his claws pointed together with his eyes closed. "Any closer to Nirvana yet?" he asked with a giggle and poked Wormmon gently.

"I don't think so," Wormmon warbled, opening one eye and scratching behind his head sheepishly. "I might've fallen asleep for a bit there, honestly."

"The setting is perfect for that," Ken agreed. "We're heading out now, though. Ryo says there's an inn close to here where we can sleep, and then we'll hit the ruins in the morning."

"Alright," Wormmon said, nodding his head. "Hopefully it'll be smoother sailing from here," he murmured, as he climbed up onto his partner's shoulder. Strikedramon had gotten onto one knee and done a sign with his hand, before he stood, ready to go.


	24. Ruins and Relics

Ken observed the gesture and walked beside Strikedramon as they made their way out. "That was rather religious of you."

"I figure it's best to be respectful," Strikedramon answered as they filed out into the hall. "The Digital World's got a habit of karma."

"What did your family follow?" Ken asked while descending the stairs. "I don't recall from any of the times I visited your house. I was so little, I don't think I was able to tell."

"Shinto," Strikedramon answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Same as most people in that neighborhood. I don't think you would have noticed anyway, we're not very active about it."

"Most people aren't, it seems," Ken agreed. "I only recently found out that Daisuke's family is Shinto. Most of the Chosen Children are. I believe Joe is Buddhist, though. Yamato and TK go to church when they visit their mother's parents in Europe, but I don't think they understand what it's all about."

"What about you?" Strikedramon asked, having to take his time to carefully get down the stone spiral staircase, watching his large feet.

Ken looked at the dragon man and then back at the steps in front of them. "Well, we're Catholic now," he answered.

"Catholic? Really?" Strikedramon asked as he crouched down into the lower part of the stairwell.

Ken nodded. "We were Shinto, too, until Osamu died. My parents went through this spiritual crisis and sought guidance through a number of different mediums. I was still very young at the time, so I didn't notice what was going on. They visited this newly erected cathedral a few blocks from home one Sunday. It must have worked for them because I remember waking up one day to find a Crucifix hanging in the kitchen. A little statue of a woman, who I later learned was Mary, was kneeling beside the funeral photo of my brother, her hands together in prayer."

Strikedramon's tail flicked, listening carefully to the story, a small frown coming over his face. "I see... I suppose I understand that."

"We still visit the shrines and temples. Mostly during festivals, though. I saw my dad make a donation and ring the bell on a shrine once, but I think he did it more out of cultural habit. They took me to Mass every Sunday for years. It's quite beautiful really," Ken explained. "Not all parts of the religion make sense, but it's impossible to know everything about what isn't physically there. I'm comfortable with the faith and believe in it well enough."

"It's nice to have something to believe in," Strikedramon said quietly. As they emerged onto the ground floor, Strikedramon shook his shoulders free of the confining hunch he had to take on in the stairwell. "Okay, so if we go out this back door here, we should be able to..."

"Ryo!" 

"Ryo, there you are!" Ken cringed as he heard the approach of fluttering wings and girlish giggles.

"You were with Mother Lotosmon an awful long time." 

A Lilamon wrapped her arms around one of Strikedramon's. "You weren't about to run out on us, were you?" 

"Ryo, you promised us stories!" said a Lillymon with her best pout. 

"Stories!" the others chimed in a gentle whine.

"I really have to go, girls," Strikedramon said, trying to remain adamant as he shook his head. "We need to keep working to stop the war, and we need to keep moving."

Ken moved forward and put his hand on the door's handle, to force upon Strikedramon's point, but then he froze when he heard, "She's putting you up to this, isn't she?" said the Lilamon on his arm.

Strikedramon's eyebrow might've rose somewhere under his helmet. "What?"

"The war can wait a few days," Lilamon insisted. "You just battled Cyclonemon. You need to rest. You had no problem spending a month here with us last time. The only difference now is her," she said and pointed at Ken. 

The boy tightened his grip on the handle. "I don't have to listen to this," he grumbled and opened the door. 

"C'mon, Ryo, stay with us," Lilamon cooed and tugged on his arm. 

"Stay here with us," said the other fairies who also started to pull him back. 

"She's only a human. She'll log out eventually. You're a Digimon now, Ryo. Stay with your kind. We understand you." 

"We understand you," they all chimed.

"No- no!" Strikedramon broke away from Lilamon, nearly stumbling when he broke the forceful grip. "You guys aren't even trying to understand me!" He pointed towards Ken, shoulders back and head held high. "Ken isn't a user, and _he _isn't just going to log out at the end of the day."

"Not all humans are like you, Ryo," said Lilamon. 

A Lillymon flew upward, hovering face to face with him, which she cupped in her hands. "He isn't trapped like you, Ryo. He will go home eventually." 

"We understand you want friends, Ryo." 

"Let us be your friends." 

"We'll be best friends." 

"We love you, Ryo!" they all sang at once. 

Lillymon hovered a bit closer and smiled. "Now why don't you close that door and come tell us those stori-Iiiiyai!" She cried out when a tree branch suddenly struck against her side. 

Ken was standing there, in a battle stance and breathing heavily as he tried to wield the branch that was a little too big for him. It was long and spread out at the end with dozens of smaller branches and thick leaves. "Leave him alone!" the boy shouted.

"Ken!" Strikedramon gasped when Ken suddenly appeared with the branch. He backed up a bit, tail twitching back and forth as he looked at the fairies, now with Ken successfully keeping them at bay. "Look... I really enjoyed the last time I stayed here, and it's always great to see you girls... but I have something I have to do right now."

"With _her?_" the same Lilamon asked bitterly and pointed at Ken. 

Ken tensed. "Don't think I won't rip those petals off your face!" 

"You see?" Lilamon cried. "She's such boorish girl, Ryo!"

"Ken's a boy!" Strikedramon snapped, his steel-tipped tail smacking against the ground, making a loud clanging noise as it rattled against the stone. "My boyfriend!"

There was a round of gasps, both from the fairies and from Ken. "You don't mean that!" cried some of the Lillymon. 

"Do you?" Ken breathed, indigo eyes wide and hopeful.

"Y-yeah, I do," Strikedramon said, trying to keep his voice steady and head high, nodding.

Ken blushed. "Oh, Ryo..." 

The one Lilamon didn't seem to be taking the news as well as the human. "Obviously this boy has tricked you," she said in a firm tone and then pointed at Strikedramon. "Sisters, get our dear Ryo and bring him inside. He needs healing." 

"You pollen huffing bitch!" Ken shouted and started to lunge at her.

"Stop!" Strikedramon roared, suddenly getting between them, bearing his teeth to try and get the Digimon to back down. "We're leaving," he said.

All the flower fairies gasped and immediately backed away inside the abbey. Ken wasn't so easily frightened and tried to jump at the Lilamon, but he was easily caught around the waist by the dragon and slung over the Digimon's shoulder. "Gah! No! I need to teach her a lesson!" Ken argued, kicking humorously at the air.

"We're leaving," Strikedramon repeated. He got Ken to drop the branch and looked at the frightened girls with a frown. "I'm sorry," he said flatly, bowing his head before turning and swiftly exiting in the abbey.

Ken wriggled and struggled in Strikedramon's hold for awhile, but eventually he just gave up and hung limply over the dragon's shoulder. "Women," he scoffed. "Think they're so great with their boobs... and their hips... and their eyes... and their boobs... and their long hair... and their boobs."

Strikedramon seemed a bit fumed, his tail thrashing for a while as he walked them out into the forest. Slowly, as they got farther away from the abbey, he seemed to calm down, lulled by the gentle rustling of the leaves and the sunlight, even if it was threatening to run low. "For someone who doesn't like them all that much, you pay even more attention to their looks than I do," he said, weakly attempting a joke.

"They have a lot of boobs!" Ken insisted. "You can't _not_ notice with the way some girls carry themselves. I mean, look at Angewomon. Yeah she's holy and whoo hoo, but put those things away! Mermaimon had hers pushed up to high heaven! Yes, I see them, very nice, thank you. Geez." 

Strikedramon managed a gentle laugh. "Consider this, Ken," he started. "A lot of Digimon are shaped- mind, body, and powers, by incoming data, right?"

"Stupid porn," Ken grumbled.

"So they aren't doing it on purpose," Strikedramon said, smiling slightly.

"You know if that's the case, Digimon should just be humping each other all the time. In fact, where's the tentacle rape monster Digimon?" Ken asked and waved his hands around behind Strikedramon. "God knows that's what we're famous for!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it exists, Ken," Strikedramon answered, snorting. Wormmon, who was now on Ken's back to prevent falling off, made a small noise and his face turned white.

Ken turned his head, trying to see the small green worm perched up on the small of his back. "Oh, calm down Wormmon. I'm sure he's only joking."

"I'm not joking," Strikedramon said, suddenly putting on a very serious tone. "I've met a Digimon that I think might just be the one."

Ken rolled his eyes and laughed. "Oh you so have not."

"Sure I have," Strikedramon countered. "His name was Dragomon. He reminded me of Cthulhu in looks, but... he also literally spent all of his time looking for a human wife to kidnap. Pretty sketchy if you ask me."

The boy blinked and swallowed. "That sounds really super creepy and gross, Ryo."

"I agree," Strikedramon said. He made a motion with his tail that Wormmon caught, moving off of Ken's back and onto Strikedramon's shoulder. With a grin, this let the dragon man flip Ken into his arms bridal style instead.

"Whoooa!" Ken yelped surprised when he was flipped, unsure what exactly was going to happen next, but then smiled when the dragon caught him so affectionately. "You oaf," he teased gently and pushed Strikedramon's chest.

Strikedramon laughed, that deep baritone rumbling past his lips. "You could call me that if I dropped you," he teased.

"I would certainly rather it not come to that," Ken replied.

"Don't worry, I'm careful," Strikedramon said, jokingly tossing Ken up and re-catching him in his arms again.

"Oh!" Ken made another surprised noise as he hovered in the air for just a brief second and landed in those strong arms. The boy hissed quietly, though, and touched the bandage on his arm. "Guess even that was a little too rough."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Ken," Strikedramon gasped, frowning and adjusting his arms so he wasn't touching the bandage. "I almost forgot, what with the way you were wielding that tree branch back there..."

Ken shrugged with a grin. "Well, you know, adrenaline and everything."

"Yeah, I know..." Strikedramon said, nodding his head. It was then that they emerged out of the brush and onto the pathway they had been following before. He stopped and finally put Ken down, placing Wormmon back on his shoulder as well.

Ken pouted playfully. "Aw, and here I thought I would have the luxury of being carried about like royalty."

Strikedramon laughed a bit oddly. "If I let you get used to it now, you might expect it all the time when we go back to the real world."

Ken flipped his midnight colored hair over his shoulder. "Aren't I lovely enough?" he asked with a fake pop of his hip.

Now Strikedramon laughed a bit more genuinely. "It's not a matter of that." He started down the trail again, using his tail to lasso those cocked hips along behind him. "Now come on, your majesty. We have an inn to find."

Ken laughed as well, hurrying along so he could catch up. "With a royalty suite, of course," the boy said with a grin. "Where the blankets are woven from gold, the bed posts are encrusted with jewels, and a rich champagne chocolate rests on your pillow."

"Don't get your hopes up," Strikedramon answered with a smirk. "I don't think forest cabin inns do suites."

"Goose feather pillows!" Ken exclaimed. "And a mirror that tells me how pretty I am."

"I don't think those exist," Wormmon said.

"Oh no, I've met a talking mirror," Strikedramon answered. "But he was sort of a jerk. I don't think he'd be handing out compliments."

"Tentacle rape monsters _and_ talking mirrors?" Ken said. "Ryo, I think you should just tell us the things you _haven't_ seen or met. The list would be shorter."

Strikedramon shrugged his shoulders. "I'd say just about nothing," he answered. "You see a lot of crazy stuff in the Digital World."

"A dodo bird!" Ken exclaimed.

Strikedramon thought for a while, and then made a noise and nodded his head. "I think you've got me there. I've never seen a dodo bird Digimon."

Ken laughed. "Ha! I win!"

"Congratulations," Strikedramon snickered. "Would you like a trophy?"

"Only the assurance that I'm becoming better company than when I first got here."

"You're laughing a lot more," Strikedramon commented. "A smiling companion is... really what I needed."

The boy's smiled widened at the comment and he shrugged his shoulders sweetly. "Thanks."

Strikedramon seemed to know the forest well, as he navigated them through it without much trouble, even when the path split. One of the paths started up a slope towards a plateau area, but he dodged around it and continued them through the forest. Finally, they came to a clearing, and the warm glow of candles in the window of an inn nestled in the trees signified their destination. "We'll stay here the night, and then the ruins won't be too far of a walk in the morning."

"Sounds like a good plan," Ken said. He dug through his pockets for their remaining BITs and counted them to be sure it was enough. "We've got about 230 BITs left."

"I don't know if that's enough to stay the night..." Strikedramon said with a frown. "Maybe you should try and find a user to card battle."

Ken bit his lip. "We haven't seen anyone on the road all day. People probably aren't logging on because of the fight. They're scared." The boy thought for a moment. "Maybe I can do dishes or sweep to make up the extra money."

"You can try asking Gatomon... I don't know if she'll let you, but it's worth a shot." Strikedramon led the way to the door, but held it open for Ken to walk in first. They had to go back to keeping up appearances now.

Ken nodded and walked in first, approaching the counter directly. "Excuse me? Hi," he greeted politely. "Miss Gatomon, may I call you that? Miss Gatomon, I'm afraid I only have 230 BITs on me. You see... I'm not really a player, but a... dimensional Chosen Child," he explained, hoping she knew what that meant. "I'm not asking for a free room, but rather the opportunity to earn the rest. I can sweep, clean dishes, do bed laundry, anything you need."

The Gatomon sitting behind the counter looked rather surprised, and even the Guardromon behind her, whom had stood stock still at the last inn, turned to look at him. "Chosen Child, you say?" she asked, her tail flicking from side to side. "Well... I could always use the help..." She put her paw to her mouth and looked around, and then pointed towards a staircase. Not the one going up towards the room, but another, that went down. "If you want, you can help by dusting everything in the basement and sweeping the floors. If you do that well, I'll give you a room."

Ken smiled and held her paw. "Really? Oh, thank you, Miss Gatomon! Are the rags and brooms in the basement all ready?"

She nodded her head, the ring on her tail clinking gently. "They should be at the bottom of the stairs."

"Thank you again," he said before rushing off down the stairs. It was dark until he found the pull string which gave life to ten lamps hanging overhead. There were tables and shelves full of linens, water basins, dishes, cutlery, and other spare furniture. "Wow, I have my work cut out for me..."

Wormmon looked around, and then up, seeing a few shelves worth stacked with the inn's supplies. "We'd best get started, then," Strikedramon said as he came to stand next to the boy at the bottom of the stairs. "Don't want to stay up too late."

Ken grinned up at the dragon man. "At least you have hands this time, right?"

"Right," Strikedramon answered. "And even if I do have three fingers, I think I can work a feather duster."

"Lucky for you, I think there is one." Ken looked inside the box of cleaning supplies where he found a duster for Strikedramon, a rag for Wormmon, and a broom was leaning against a banister for himself. "Let's get cracking."

Even with the three of them working, getting the basement completely dust-free was no easy task. There was a lot of coughing and they took in turns to run upstairs and outside to get fresh air, each time seeing how much deeper they were getting into the night. But, finally, Gatomon appeared at the top of the stairwell and yelled down, "You boys have been working long enough! You can come up to the room now."

Ken emptied the last of what was in the dust pan into the pail and poured that out the small window in the corner of the basement. Again he went first and had his Digimon follow, just to be sure. "Thank you for letting us stay the night here," Ken said as he followed Gatomon.

"Thanks for cleaning the basement," she said with a small laugh. "I always come out of that place looking like I have gray fur." She let them into a room that looked very much like the one in Asuka City, with the tiered beds and wooden decor.

"It was our pleasure to help," he replied. Ken counted out the remaining BITs and gave them to the white feline. "If I may ask, are Protocol Ruins close to here? We only have a vague idea as to their location. A mile estimation would really be helpful."

Gatomon frowned a bit, her whiskered twitching and her nose scrunching up. "Now why would you want to go there?"

"We're working to stop the war between the Infection and the Cleansing movements," Ken explained. "We were told Minotarumon, the next officer, is located there. We have to confront him if we hope to make any progress."

"I see," she answered, waving her tail. "I don't know about miles, but we're fairly close. Shouldn't take you more than an hour to walk there."

Ken nodded. "Thank you. Good night," he said with a bow before going into the room and closing the door.

When the morning came, Strikedramon woke first. He waited for Ken and Wormmon, sitting at the edge of his bed with his elbows resting on his knees. He'd been up at the crack of dawn, so he figured it best to let them sleep. Eventually, however, hours had past and he was leaning over Ken and shaking his shoulder. "C'mon, Ken. We have to get moving."

"Mmn?" Ken made a tired, confused sound as he was stirred into waking. "Wh-What?" He looked around and saw the sun coming through the window and knew it must have been mid-morning by now. "Oh..."

"It's time to go fight Minotarumon," Strikedramon said, as he moved to shake Wormmon now.

The little green Digimon groaned as he rolled over onto his back and blinked his eyes open. "Morning already?"

"Fight... right..." Ken rolled out of bed and got dressed, trying to fix his hair as best he could without a mirror. "Frizzies?" he asked the dragon.

"You look fine," Strikedramon answered, jumping down from the bed. He offered his tail to Wormmon, allowing him to grab on and then lowering him to the floor.

Ken ran his fingers through his hair one more time anyway and then they were off. "Have you ever actually been inside the ruins before, Ryo?" he asked once they were out on the path.

Strikedramon shook his head, leading the way once more. They were going into a part of a jungle that was deep enough that they weren't at risk of being spotted by users. "I've passed them, but I never went inside. Never had a reason to go in."

"So... Protocol Ruins is another place in the Digital World you've never been before," Ken pointed out.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true," Strikedramon said, nodding and smiling a bit. "Maybe we'll get to see something interesting inside."

"First Piximon's place and the- Oh my gosh! Piximon's Palace! I forgot my bag there!" Ken exclaimed. "I can't believe I didn't realize until now!"

"You... forgot your bag?" Strikedramon asked, looking surprised. Slowly, the trees were starting to become closer together, and they changed from the tropical-looking trees that were around Asuka to what looked like weeping willows, but instead of willows, they had dark leaves on their branches. The drooping branches forced the group to push them aside in order to continue to follow the path, which was starting to turn winding. "What was in it, anything important?"

"Well... Nothing really important. My sweater from when I first came here, an extra pair of socks, a bottle of water, and the last couple of fruit bars." Ken put his hand on his head. "I just don't know how I could have left it. How I didn't even notice..."

"Having too much fun?" Strikedramon teased, using his tail to part the low-hanging branches.

Ken nodded slightly. "I guess... something..."

"We can go back and get it later if you want," Strikedramon offered. Once they found their way out of the trees, they were immediately presented with stone steps. At the top was a large stone courtyard, in front of a gray tomb-like building that seemed to be crumbling, even from the outside. "This is it."

The pale boy swallowed nervously. "Looks so safe. If Minotarumon is anything like the real minotaur, then these ruins are a labyrinth." Ken snapped his fingers. "Aurumon!"

Strikedramon was about to agree, but then he hesitated and looked over at Ken. "What about Aurumon?"

"Aurumon can use his eyes to see through the walls and tell us which way to go!" Ken explained. "Instead of wandering lost like idiots, he can spot Minotarumon down inside the ruins and lead us to him."

"Oh! That's a good idea!" Strikedramon said, nodding.

Wormmon looked excited as Ken got out his Digivice. "Wormmon armor Digivolve to... Aurumon!" He turned into the little owl-like Digimon, his infrared goggles making a whirring sound as they turned themselves on after the evolutionary light faded. He spread his wings and flew out in front of them, looking really excited to be armor evolved into the form again.

Ken smiled fondly after his Digimon. "Wormmon absolutely loves when he gets to be helpful."

"Of course!" the Digimon hooted. He flew over towards the entrance to the ruins, and Strikedramon laughed as he followed him inside. Like Ken predicted, the inside was a huge maze. As soon as they entered, they were confronted with a fork in the labyrinth. "Well, I can't see Minotarumon yet..." Aurumon started, as his goggles whirred and clicked quietly, "But I can see that that way is a dead end. So follow me this way."

Ken followed diligently behind his Digimon. Honestly, he almost liked Armor evolution better for his Digimon than the evolution his tag and crest might provide. Wormmon was able to turn into so many different things that helped them so much along their journey. Who knows where they would be without Quetzalmon or Archelomon. "I'm so proud of you, Aurumon," Ken said quietly.

Aurumon looked over his shoulder as he flitted along ahead of them, and smiled at his boy's words. "Thank you, Ken." Suddenly he halted, and gasped when a Goblimon suddenly dropped down in front of them. "Infrared Eye!" he hooted, shooting laser beams from his eyes that zapped the threat in just one hit.

"Oh my gosh!" Ken gasped, hand poised over his mouth. "No one told us there would be other Digimon in here!"

"I'm not surprised," Strikedramon growled. "I doubt they live here- they're probably Minotarumon's goons."

"It's a good thing Aurumon knows which way to go at least," Ken said. "Who knows what could be waiting for us at dead ends or around wrong turns."

"Spike pits," Strikedramon answered, as Aurumon started to guide them again, now scanning the ceilings as well for places where more Digimon might appear. "Definitely spike pits."

Ken stared up at the Digimon with a gaping mouth and furrowed brows. "Wha... Why on earth would you say that?"

"Doesn't that seem like the sort of thing that would be in a labyrinth?" Strikedramon asked, shrugging his shoulders as they followed Aurumon around another turn.

"Well, sure, but you said it like you were describing what you had for lunch. It was weird."

"I'm not particularly intimidated by death traps," Strikedramon answered.

"I'm a little more mortal over here," Ken pointed out. "And it's freaking me out so... shush."

"I'll be quiet, then," Strikedramon said. Suddenly Aurumon gasped, and swooped down to hover in front of them. "I can see Minotarumon now. We still have a few turns to take, but he's standing on a high platform over a pit." Strikedramon resisted the urge to ask if it was, in fact, a spike pit.

Ken pointed at Strikedramon, giving him the eye. "Shush." He then turned back to the owl. "Are you able to tell if anyone is in the pit, Aurumon?"

"Not like that, Ken. The pit is all around them... Like they just didn't build a floor around this elevated place where he's standing. So it just drops down into the foundation of the ruins."

"Around them?" Ken asked with a frown. "I thought you said it was Minotarumon in there?"

"There's some Goblimon hanging around the stairs leading up to where Minotarumon is," Aurumon clarified. "Nothing I can't take of, but... When we fight Minotarumon, we'll have to be careful about not falling off."

"Either that or we can try to coax him back into the labyrinth, or even try to get him to chase us outside, like our original plan," Strikedramon added.

Ken tried to peer around the corner, but it wasn't enough to let him see. "Would Quetzalmon or Shadramon be better? If Ryo falls, you'll need to be able to catch him. Aurumon isn't nearly strong enough."

"Quetzalmon," Strikedramon said. "Shadramon's strong, but he wouldn't be able to catch me if I was falling." Aurumon nodded, and devolved, landing on the ground and becoming Wormmon.

Flipping through the D-Terminal, Ken selected the Egg of Light so Wormmon could evolve. "I know you both want me out of harms way, but I'm at least going to be close enough where I can see you. If Wormmon needs to evolve into something else, I need to be there."

Quetzalmon just barely fit into the narrow labyrinth corridor, having to wind himself up like a snake as he evolved in order to keep from pushing against the stone walls. "Alright, Ken," the two of them said, each giving nods. "Just promise you'll get out of there if one of them tries to attack you," Strikedramon said.

"I will run as fast as my shamefully girly legs will carry me," Ken replied, holding his hand up in a swear.

Strikedramon smiled wistfully, but then nodded and pointed inwards. Quetzalmon led the charge, uncoiling and swooping up into the chamber. Strikedramon followed after him. After a few twists through the labyrinth he was there- in a large chamber at the end of the ruins. The ceiling was much higher and the only place to stand was a large stone plateau and the stairs leading up to it, which were infested with Goblimon. They all looked up at Quetzalmon in surprise. "Wind Seeker!" Quetzalmon shouted, creating a gust of wind with his wings that threw some of the Gobilmon off into the pit on both sides of the staircase, letting Strikedramon start a hasty ascent.

Minotarumon saw them the second they entered his chamber. He was a large beast brown in color with bulging muscles, various stitches, and a zipper going up the front of his body. Steam flared from his nostrils where a heavy golden ring hung from. The black horns on his head nearly scraped the ceiling as he stood up, raising both hands over his head, one of which was like a hydraulic machine, and roared. "Dark Side Quake!" Minotarumon then slammed his machine hand down, sending powerful vibrations through the stone. His aim was to obliterate the stairs before Strikedramon could reach him.

Strikedramon gasped, and took a flying leap as the stairs crumbled beneath him. He just barely grabbed onto the edge of the plateau, and scrabbled up the side as quickly as he could, bringing him face-to-face with Minotarumon. Even hunched over, he could tell that he was much bigger than Cyclonemon. Still, Strikedramon now found himself trapped on the plateau with the beast. "Strike Fang!" he roared. His hair burst into blue flames as red flames engulfed the rest of his body, and he launched himself forward to try and ram Minotarumon back towards the edge.

Minotarumon grunted as the aflame Digimon collided with him, but his two firmly planted feet and sturdy frame allowed for hardly a budge. The large beast laughed, almost making the ruins shake with the sound. "That all you got, amigo?" he taunted. "I bet I could flick you off this platform wit one finger!"

Strikedramon gasped as he stumbled back, the red flames going out but his hair remaining alight. He wasn't expecting Minotarumon to not even flinch from that attack. He growled and tried again, this time leaping up and shouting, "Strike Claw!"

"Toltec Wind!" Quetzalmon gasped from above, seeing he had to help, and making a more concentrated gust of wind to attack Minotarumon with his tail, so Strikedramon wouldn't get blown off.

Pebbles rattled slightly when Minotarumon's feet slid across the stone surface, proof that Strikedramon had done better that time. The giant bull grunted in surprise when the powerful just of wind hit him from behind. Again he roared and turned. "Demon Arm!" he called and swung the metal arm at the silver snake. Unfortunately, the narrow platform wasn't sturdy enough for all the weight being thrown around on top of it.

The pillar began to sway and Ken watched in horror, not knowing which way it would go. Stones creaked and cracked, pieces falling away. There came a loud groan as the pillar tilted and started to towards the landing where the boy stood. Ken ran back down the corridor just in time for the crash. "Quetzalmon? Ryo?" he called carefully from his spot around the corner. It was silent for a few moments and he feared the worst, that is until his Digimon came bursting up out of the rubble, followed by Minotarumon who had a red and blue flaming Strikedramon on his back. Strikedramon was clinging onto Minotarumon's back as best as he could, but the huge Digimon was just like a rampaging bull. Even with his claws dug into the Digimon's thick skin, he was threatened to be thrown off as his opponent thrashed around. Minotarumon tried to reach around and grab the dragon in his one hand, but all his thick muscles were making it almost impossible. Ken's eyes darted around as he watched poor Strikedramon get flung about. There had to be something they could do... "Quetzalmon, try your Freeze Wave!" he shouted.

"Freeze Wave!" Just as Strikedramon was thrown off, slamming him into the wall, Quetzalmon swooped down the hall and wrapped his body around Minotarumon, releasing a wave of paralyzing energy.

Minotarumon grunted and groaned as the paralysis took hold. "You tink that's gonna stop me, serpiente?" he said through grit teeth. Instead of just being stopped where he stood, Minotarumon was smart and leaned his body back at the last second, causing his body to go crashing down on top of Quetzalmon.

Quetzalmon let out a screech when the heavy enemy fell on top of him. His body instantly unraveled as he tried to get free from under Minotarumon, wings flapping wildly. Strikedramon, still in the rubble of the wall he'd hit, groaned, rubbing his head until he heard Quetzalmon's squawk. He forced himself up and tried to aim to attack Minotarumon through the loose coils of Quetzalmon's body. "Strike Fang!"

Ken's eyes went wide when he saw the flames of Strikedramon's body heading straight for his Digimon. He knew Strikedramon only meant to be attacking Minotarumon, but this wasn't the way to do it. Ken nearly dropped his D-Terminal as he fumbled to find the flamed Egg that he needed. "Digimental Up!" he cried and pointed.

Wormmon devolved, freeing him from beneath Minotarumon and sending him crashing into the stone floor just in time for Strikedramon to jump on him, tearing at his immobile body. "Wormmon Armor Digivolve to... Shadramon!" The butterfly-like Digimon rose into the air as soon as he evolved, thankful to be out of the reach of both his opponent and ally.

It was Ken's hope that Shadramon would stand a better chance against Strikedramon's fire attacks, being a fire Digimon himself. Minotarumon roared in pain, his bellowing voice echoing off the ancient walls. Cracks formed in the stone and debris fell loose in a few places. Ken bit his lip. They needed to finish this before the whole place came down. He was about to command Shadramon when the paralysis started to wear off, allowing the giant bull to shout, "Demon Arm!" and swing his machine hand right into Strikedramon's side.

Strikedramon screamed in pain as he was flung aside, his body skidding against the stone before he stopped, the flames going out again. "Flash Buster!" Shadramon cried, shooting flames from his armored hands.

"Ryo!" Ken shouted. "Ryo, you have to get up! Get up!" 

Minotarumon lifted his arm to shield the rest of himself from the balls of flame. When they stopped, his malevolent brown eyes turned on Shadramon and he laughed. "You a mariposa now, mi amigo? I tink you were better off as the serpiente brillante!" He then reached up to grab at Shadramon. "I'll pluck your wings off!"

Shadramon dodged out of the way, flying as close as he could towards the ceiling to try and stay out of Minotarumon's grasp. "Psychic Wave!" he yelled, unleashing a blast of psychic energy.

Minotarumon suddenly grabbed his own head and let out a pained groan. Ken took the chance to run out onto the landing and crouched down beside the dragon. "Ryo, get up!" he cried and shook an armored shoulder. "Shadramon can't do it by himself!"

Strikedramon groaned, looking over his shoulder. "Ken, what're you doing? Get away from the battle, I can..." He started to pull himself up, wincing slightly as he did.

Ken continued to shake Strikedramon, fighting tears. "Get up! Get up! You have to help! Get up!" He heard the angry snort from Minotarumon and knew he was about to attack again. "Please, get up!"

"Ken, get away from the battle!" Strikedramon snarled, even as he struggled into a sitting position. "You're going to get yourself hurt, move!"

"Psychic Wave!" Shadramon shouted desperately, trying to get Minotarumon's attention again.

"I'll move when you get up and fight!" Ken shouted. The boy spun around already with his D-Terminal in hand and the Egg of Light selected again. "Digimental Up!" 

Minotarumon saw the small device and laughed. "What are you going to do wit that, chico pequeño? Text message me into submission?" 

"Quetzalmon, Wind Seeker, now!" Ken commanded.

"Wind Seeker!" Quetzalmon roared, shooting razor sharp gusts of wind at Minotarumon's back.

Strikedramon got to his feet, wincing but finally standing. "Strike Fang!" he roared, running at Minotarumon's front with his claws up. Minotarumon released another painful bellow as the razor winds pierced open his stitching, revealing vulnerable muscle tissue. The blazing attack that followed was all the more excruciating when that same soft muscle was met with red hot metal shoved through them. Minotarumon roared and swung his head around violently, trying to hit anything he could with his large horns. Strikedramon managed to dodge, but Quetzalmon was knocked back when he tried to get too close. "Strike Fang!" Strikedramon roared again, dodging around to Minotarumon's back to attack his obviously vulnerable, hulking shoulders.

Ken noticed how close the bull beast was getting to the edge. For Strikedramon to attack from the other side would only held Minotarumon get to safety. "No!" the boy shouted. "The other way! Push him the other way!" Only it was easier said than done with the bull on the rampage. "Quetzalmon, Fossil Wave!" He should have called it before, too. The attack would get them the same results as Freeze Wave, and it would keep his Digimon out of danger.

"Fossil Wave!" Quetzalmon shouted. Instead of wrapping himself around Minotarumon, he released a blast of wind that froze him. Unfortunately, Strikedramon was hit as well, and they both crashed to the ground in the wake of the attack.

"Shit..." Ken hissed. Strikedramon never did listen when he was in that much of a rage. "Quetzalmon, we don't have to defeat him ourselves!" the boy called to his Digimon. "Push him over the ledge! The fall will destroy him!" Quetzalmon nodded. He landed, and tried to sweep his tail hard enough to push Minotarumon towards the ledge.

Minotarumon was proving to be heavier when paralyzed than on his own two feet. His body was just barely at the ledge when his bulky fingers gripped Quetzalmon's tail. "No tan rápidamente, serpentea," he snorted and started to squeeze. Quetzalmon cried out in pain, and tried instead to fly into the chamber and take Minotarumon with him on the end of his tail, but still the other Digimon was too heavy for him to move, making his wing flapping completely fruitless. All he could do then was try in vain to wriggle his tail free.

Ken gasped. If they waited any longer, Minotarumon would get back on his feet. The boy clenched his fist, doing the only thing else he knew to do. "Damn it, Strikedramon, you lazy ass desert slime! Get off your ass right now! I swear to God if you don't do something even remotely worthwhile in the next five seconds I will come over there and kick you off the ledge myself!" Strikedramon lifted his head a bit, and started to growl loudly at the boy's words. But he was frozen by Quetzalmon's attack, and he could do no more except glare at Ken and snarl. Ken tilted his head up smugly. "Oh! What? Isn't this what it takes? I seem to recall you saying that to me once. That your deranged body needs to be insulted and controlled in order for it to do anything properly," he hissed. "But look at you now! Just lying there like a useless piece of shit! You want me to get the whip out? Is that what you want!" Strikedramon started to make a noise like a dog at a bit, like he was being held back from wanting to pounce. He even lifted his head and seemed to strain to try and move the rest of his body. "Worthless," Ken spat. The Digivice was snatched from his belt line, the code installed into his palm, and with a simple snap the whip appeared. "Figures it would take a human to do a Digimon's job. I had armies of Ultimates and Megas under my thumb back in the day. You want to know how I did it? No mercy." Ken approached Minotarumon and cracked the whip. "Release my Digimon!" 

The bull beast just chuckled. "Lookit here, the chico finally grew some valor." 

"I said release my Digimon!" Ken shouted and snapped the whip against a vulnerable tear of muscle. Minotarumon roared and at once let go of Quetzalmon's tail. Quetzalmon rocketed into the empty chamber, spinning around mid-air and looking at his tail. He wanted to attack Minotarumon now that he was free, but Ken was standing far too close. Dark indigo eyes glared at the dragon man. "Now get up and finish the job!"

"Ken, he's going to be frozen as long as Minotarumon is!" Quetzalmon cried from inside the chamber. Strikedramon's hands clenched into angry fists, free just like Minotarumon's hand was, but he still just lay there glaring.

"That's just an excuse!" Ken snapped, the rage getting the better of him. "Only a weak Digimon lets an attack get the better of them! Digimon that aren't even worth the time of day! Digimon that should be disposed of because they're obviously useless!" 

"Weak?" Minotarumon snorted in anger. He groaned loudly as he sat up and slowly got to his feet. "I'll show you weak, chico." Ken just glared at the bull beast and struck another exposed bit of muscle and nerves, drawing a roar of pain.

"Fossil Wave!" Quetzalmon shouted, desperately shooting another gust of freezing air at Minotarumon's back. Meanwhile, Strikedramon was struggling towards them, managing to move his arms and dragging himself towards Ken.

Minotarumon groaned when he was overcome with paralysis again and falling over. Part of the gust hit Ken's forearm, making his drop the whip which vanished back into the Digivice. The boy shook his head and blinked a few times before looking around. He spotted Strikedramon and gasped. "Ryo... Ryo, I'm sorry. That wasn't... I mean..." He started to back away. "I was just trying to help, but I was wrong. I'm sorry!"

Strikedramon managed himself up onto his feet, and suddenly lunged towards Ken. "No!" Quetzalmon gasped, swooping in to try and stop him. Strikedramon pounced on Ken and pinned him hard against the stone floor, teeth bared and an angry growl ripping from his throat.

Ken stared up at the growling dragon crouched over him. Tears fell from his eyes as he gasped, "I'm so sorry, Ryo. I'm sorry I don't know how to help you. I'm sorry I'm such a monster. Please... Please, Ryo..."

Quetzalmon managed to fly in just before Strikedramon could clamp down with those threatening fangs. He barreled headfirst into him, sending the dragon man straight into the wall. "Fossil Wave!" he roared, freezing their ally again. "We have to do this without him, Ken!"

Ken choked but nodded. Wormmon only had one other form he thought could work. So, the Egg of Hope was selected from his D-Terminal. "Digimental Up! Ram him, Bullmon! Ram him over the edge!"

"Wormmon Armor Digivolve to... Bullmon!" The armored bull appeared, pawing at the ground with his front hoof. "Matador Dash!" he shouted, running at full speed towards Minotarumon, head down and horns poised at the ready.

Minotarumon could only watch as the smaller bull came charging towards him. It only took one hit and his last, vengeful roar could be heard fading down the chamber. That is until his last effort at taking them out was struck. "Dark Side Quake!" he bellowed and thrust the metal machine against the wall before he crashed below. The vibrations traveled up and rattled the already fragile walls of the ruins. The battle had been enough of a strain, so this was just pushing its limits. Ken heard the crack from above and looked up. There, just above them, the ceiling was about to give out. Indigo eyes flashed to the still paralyzed, and thus defenseless, Strikedramon. "Ryo, no!" the boy screamed and dove over the dragon's body just as the stones fell in a crushing heap.


	25. Like Falling Rocks

"Ken!" Bullmon gasped and rushed over to them, clearing the rocks away with his horns. As Bullmon worked to dig them out, there came the distant rumble of another collapse, followed by the shaking of another cave in nearby. Clearly the Protocol Ruins were starting to fall apart. When enough rocks were cleared, Ken was found lying on top of Strikedramon, the metal plated face tucked against his chin. Midnight colored locks were soaked and matted with blood that was pooling from a gash in his head. Dark bruises had already started to appear all over his body and his left hand looked mangled after being crushed between two boulders.

Bullmon started to panic. Strikedramon groaned, slowly becoming released from the paralyzing effects of Quetzalmon's wind. When he realized what had happened, he instantly sat upright, catching Ken in his arms. "Oh, no..." He struggled to his feet and lay Ken over Bullmon's back, before the two of them took off to try and get out of the labyrinth before their only ways out caved in.

The way they managed to escape wasn't the same place they'd come in, but that wasn't important. At least they were out. And just in time as the stairs they'd come up suddenly imploded leaving a pile of rubble that led nowhere. The heavy willow trees were gone and have been replaced by industrial sized bonsai trees with sakura blossoms on them. The afternoon sun broken in strange shapes over the ground and the duo trying to catch their breath. It seemed like the sun and fresh air did some good as Ken started to groan softly, vaguely coming around. "R-Ryo...?"

Strikedramon was already leading them somewhere, and looked over his shoulder at the boy, shaking his head quickly. "Ken, you're injured. Get some rest. I'm going to try and find someone who can help."

"Injur'd?" he echoed confusedly. Ken's eyes blinked slowly. "Ryo?" he said again in the same lost voice.

Strikedramon bit his lip slightly, not liking the sound of the boy's lost tone. "Get some rest, Ken," he repeated firmly.

"We have to... to get up," Ken said as he looked around, but didn't comprehend at all what he saw. "Shadr'mon can't... he can't do it by himself..."

"This sounds really bad," Bullmon said, concern obvious on his voice.

"I know, I know," Strikedramon answered, sounding a little panicked himself. "I'm trying to think of who can help..."

Ken moaned softly. "I... I don't feel..." The boy turned his head to one side and threw up onto the ground. "Ryo... what...?"

Bullmon and Strikedramon both flinched, and Bullmon gave the dragon man a look to hurry up. "Alright... we have to get moving..." Strikedramon sighed, motioning for Bullmon to follow him.

After what no doubt felt like hours of running due to their panic, the trees started to spread apart. In Digital World fashion, the scenery started to change in strange ways. They were in the middle of the forest, but desert flowers soon started to bloom. A path gradually began to appear. A path laid with river rocks and what appeared to be precious stones. It made sense to follow the path, since a path had to lead to someone who could help. Soon enough the trees cleared to reveal a building that was arranged like the Taj Mahal, but was designed and decorated very similarly to Saint Basil's Cathedral.

Bullmon almost wanted to stop in awe at the building, amazed as its sudden appearance. But Ken was still making sick noises from his back and he hastily sped up to run alongside Strikedramon. "Do you know the Digimon that lives there?" he asked between deep intakes of breath.

"Yeah," Strikedramon answered, shaking his head a bit. "She might be able to help... but I wished it wouldn't have come to this."

Those who lived in the palace were always well aware of who was in the area. The place was so often free of travelers that it was hard not to notice when a visitor came through. A duo of Mikemon came scampering out of the palace to meet Strikedramon and Bullmon. "Stop!" they both said. "Friend or foe?"

The two came to a halt at the door, where the Mikemon stopped them. "Friend," Strikedramon answered. "My name's Ryo Akiyama... I've been here before. A friend of mine is really hurt and we've come to ask for your aid."

The Mikemon looked at the sick boy on Bullmon's back and then back at Strikedramon. "Ryo Akiyama is a human," they both said. "You are a Strikedramon. We can't let just anyone in to see Mistress Persiamon." 

"My little Mikemon soldiers, how could you not recognize my dear Ryo?" purred a lovely voice. She came to the door, Persiamon. Her body was long and lean, but really no taller than a human teenage girl. She was covered head to toe in grey-brown fur with leopard spots, except for her face, chest and belly which were the color of tanned flesh. The bodice she wore was pink, but very lacking, while her pants puffed out in an almost exaggerated fashion. Long, sharp pink claws extended from her hands and feet, all of them sporting rings and jewels. Bracelets decorated her ankles, arms and both her tails. Her pink hair was long and hung in a braid. And while she was undoubtedly beautiful, a gossamer cloth hung around her face, really only allowing her eyes to be seen. "Ryo, my الحبيب," she purred in her thick Arabian accent, "Please, come in."

Strikedramon was about to tear his hair out when the Mikemon wouldn't let him in, but Persiamon's appearance made him let out a breath, calming himself. He motioned for Bullmon to follow as he stepped past the gate towards the digital princess. "Persiamon, it's good to see you again," he said. "One of my companions, he's very injured... I figured you'd know what to do to help."

Persiamon waved both her tails from side to side slowly. "Ryo, الحبيب, don't you have a kiss for your Mistress?" she purred again. Strikedramon stifled a sigh. Even in the most high-strung situations, Persiamon always saw herself coming first. He picked up her hand and did his best to kiss the back, hoping that would appease her. She licked her lips. "A little cold, but I'll take. Now let me see about your friend." Persiamon went around Bullmon's side and used her three claws to gently lift Ken's head. 

The boy moaned and blinked at her with glazed eyes. "Ryo?" 

"No, darling," she replied and then wrinkled her nose. "Has he been sick recently?"

"Yeah," Strikedramon answered, scratching behind his head with a frown.

"Not in my flowers, I hope," Persiamon said, not bothering at all to mumble or whisper her words. "The boy has a concussion," she finally concluded, turning to face Ryo again. "Tea?"

"I-is that all we can do?" Strikedramon asked quickly, coming to stand next to her.

"Of course not," she replied. "There will be sandwiches and petit fours as well."

"Persiamon..." Strikedramon sighed. "We have to treat him first."

She blinked. "Our tea will get cold."

"We'll treat him first, and then make the tea," Strikedramon said, putting his hand around her shoulders to try and lead her inside, motioning for Bullmon to follow. "Alright?"

Persiamon bit the very tip of her nail beneath her veil. "I love a man in command," she purred. "Very well." She then clapped her hands and a group of about ten Mikemon assembled in the foyer. "Take the human boy and tend to his wounds," she said. They all bowed and led Bullmon away. "Now, about our tea," Persiamon purred to the dragon.

"Ken? Ken..." Ryo's voice called the sleeping boy, but a large, clawed hand shook his shoulder gently. He wasn't sure if he should be waking the boy because of his injuries, but he was getting too restless after hours of watching him just lie there. He had to wake him up and ask him if he was feeling better.

The crimson splotch bleeding through the bandage around Ken's head spoke of how touch-and-go his condition still was. Ken clothes had been removed for treatment and were currently hanging over the back of a chair in the corner of the room. It was a large room full of lavish, ornate, and very expensive things. The bed itself was king sized with a pale yellow canopy. Indigo eyes blinked open and it took some effort to focus them. "Who...?" he mumbled when he saw the dragon.

"It's me," Strikedramon said, tilting his head to the side a bit. "How are you feeling, Ken?"

The boy blinked again with a confused frown, but then it all seemed to crash into him when he let out a pained gasp. "I hurt. Oh God... my body hurts..."

"Yeah..." Strikedramon frowned, moving his hand off of Ken's shoulder. "Wormmon said you jumped on top of me just before a bunch of rocks dislodged from the ceiling in the ruins. Don't know what you were trying to do..."

"Ruins?" Ken moaned as he tried to recall what had happened. "I don't... Ruins?"

"Protocal Ruins," Strikedramon said. "We just fought Minotarumon there... remember?"

Ken swallowed against the heat building at the front of his head. "How did we get there so fast?" he asked. "We just left the abbey a few minutes ago."

Strikedramon shook his head. "We stayed at an inn overnight and then walked to the ruins in the morning."

"Inn? Overnight? No, we... Inn?" Ken's face creased like he was about to cry. "I can't remember anything..."

"We think you might have a concussion," Strikedramon murmured with a frown. "Don't push yourself too hard."

A confused sound escaped his lips. "A concussion?" Ken lifted his hand to touch his head and immediately had to stifle a scream. He looked at his hand and his eyes widened when he saw the pins going through his fingers, unable to be hidden by all the bandages. "Oh my God! Oh my God, what happened to me?" he cried.

"I told you Ken, you jumped on me and got hit by falling rocks... You were bleeding and you threw up on out way out of the ruins."

"I don't remember that!" Ken cried again. "Why am I... I don't understand why..." The boy sat up, the sudden rush making the bloody spot on his head bandages spread a little. The blankets pooled around his hips to reveal all the bruises and bandages on the rest of his body. "This doesn't make sense, I- Hrm!" Ken's good hand flew to his mouth which he promptly threw up into and made a mess down his front.

Strikedramon flinched, making a face. He grabbed a bucket that was next to the bed and put it up in Ken's lap, grabbing the wet towel inside of it. "Here, Ken, use the bucket..."

The rest of Ken's sick splattered into the bucket, covering the entire bottom of it. When he was done, the bucket was left between his knees as the boy's weak body fell limp against the head board. "Nnhg..."

Strikedramon took the bucket and put it next to the bed again before leaning over and starting to clean Ken's front. "Don't push yourself... you're gonna need to rest here for a bit."

Ken shook his head. "No... I can't. We'll... We'll fall behind," he insisted. "Just one night. That's all. Then... Then we'll go."

"No Ken, we're staying here until you're better. We'll waste more time if we go out on the road and you get sick again."

"I won't!" Ken argued, but the volume of his own voice made his head throb. "Nnngh... nah... Ryo, I don't want to be the reason we lose all the ground we gained. If we really did beat Minotarumon, then there are only three officers left. We have to move immediately on something like that."

Strikedramon just sighed, reaching his hand forward and carefully using one claw to brush back Ken's bangs. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself, Ken."

Ken struggled to catch his breath after all that, his chest heaving slightly under the damp cloth. "I think I already managed that..."

"More, I mean," Strikedramon murmured, turning the cloth around to dab at Ken's mouth and make sure his face was clean.

The boy was quiet while Strikedramon finished cleaning him up. Just as the cloth was draped over the edge of the bucket, Ken chose to speak. "You must have been in danger..."

"Wormmon said I was paralyzed from one of his attacks, and the rocks were going to fall on top of me. But I would have gotten a lot less hurt than you did."

Ken tried to think. "If you were paralyzed... I must have thought that... that you couldn't defend yourself."

"Yeah, but diving on top of me wasn't the brightest idea," Strikedramon answered. "You just got yourself really hurt, too..."

"Are you hurt?" Ken asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm sure I am, a bit... But not like you."

"Ryo..." Ken had to swallow a strange taste in his mouth. "Powerful Digimon or not, I'm going to worry about you. I'm going to want to protect you."

"Yeah, well..." Strikedramon frowned a bit, tail flicking. "Same here, you know?"

"A-Are you mad at me?"

"No, no, I just... wish you'd think of yourself when things get dangerous," Strikedramon said, toothy frown deepening.

"Ryo..." Ken felt around on his chest and was relieved to feel his tag and crest still hanging there. He lifted it up as best he could for the dragon man to see. "Ryo, what is this?"

"The... your tag and crest," Strikedramon answered. "The Crest of Kindness..."

Ken nodded. "That's right. Do you know what it means, Ryo?"

"Well, yes, but... it doesn't mean you need to put yourself in danger!" Strikedramon argued.

Ken was calm even in the face of the large dragon shouting at him. "My true nature doesn't allow me to stand by and watch someone suffer, Ryo. I can't help but do anything I can to help someone. Whether it's you or anyone else. If even the tiniest part of me feels like it can do something, my will is to do it. To turn a blind eye or a deaf ear is the farthest from a kind act. My heart is gentle, Ryo, yes... but it also has powerful convictions."

"Ken..." Strikedramon's tail drooped a bit as he listened. "I know, but... Sometimes you need to go against what your heart tells you. Sometimes you need to think with your head so you don't get yourself killed."

"Why are you telling me this?" Ken asked.

"Because I don't want to see you get hurt!" Strikedramon snapped. "And you've already given yourself a concussion by not thinking straight! You should have let those rocks hit me, I wouldn't have been as hurt."

Ken stared at Strikedramon with wide eyes. Finally he blinked and looked away. "I get it..." he murmured and rolled heavily onto his side away from the other.

Strikedramon looked surprised at the boy's reaction. "Wh... what?"

"Nothing, I get it..." Ken said again as he curled up, accidentally drawing blood up through a bandage on his waist.

"Was it something I said...?" Strikedramon murmured, leaning back in the chair he'd been given and placing a hand on his head. After the scare with the boy's concussion, he really didn't want to deal with this.

Ken was hesitant to respond, but he finally said, "Maybe it's the concussion, but... I hear you saying I'm stupid..."

"That's not what I said," Strikedramon sighed. "I'm just saying that you let your emotions guide your actions... which is fine sometimes, but not always."

Slender fingers gripped his pillow. "Ryo... get in the bed." Strikedramon got up from his chair, the legs scratching against the ornate tile. He then walked over to the other side of the large bed and crawled onto it. "If I have a concussion, you can't let me fall asleep again," Ken told Strikedramon once he was in the bed. "You have to keep me awake overnight or else I might not wake up. Ever."

"Is... is that true?" Strikedramon asked, sitting down and looking a little scared. "Then... how can we know when it's alright for you to sleep again?"

Ken nodded. "I fell asleep once, but... I don't know what I was like before. Obviously I'm confused, nauseous, and have memory loss... Was I clumsy before? Or slur my speech?"

"Yeah," Strikedramon answered, nodding his head. "I don't know about clumsy, since you were on Bullmon's back, but you were slurring your words a bit."

Ken nodded again. "Really, you could wake me up every three hours, but I'm a little scared to go to sleep. Sometimes people slip into comas that way..."

"We'll try to keep you awake, then," Strikedramon said. "Lucky for us, the owner of this place... well, she naps... a lot. Most of the day, actually. It's pretty likely she won't mind me staying in here with you."

"She?" The boy groaned slightly. "Oh geez, Ryo, not again..."

"You left me with no choice this time," Strikedramon said, shaking one claw.

"Do you know her?" the boy asked.

"Yeah, I stayed at this palace once," Strikedramon said with a nod. "She's a princess. Her name's Persiamon."

Ken sighed. He meant to smile, and it reflected in his voice, but his actual expression was a sad one. "What is it with you and women, Ryo?"

"I wish I knew," Strikedramon said, letting himself flop backwards onto the bed.

"It's funny, though," Ken said. "Most guys would run each other over to be in your position."

"Yeah, I guess they would," Strikedramon answered, putting his hands behind his head as he nodded.

"Too much of a good thing, maybe?"

"Maybe. When I was younger, I just wasn't interested in girls, so being popular with them meant nothing. By the time I was old enough to be interested, I was already over it."

"Digital chicks are all cougars," Ken joked. "Well, you're trying out for the other team now, and we're not as psychotic," the boy claimed. While he spoke, there were tears building in Ken's indigo eyes, and just now started to fall. "You know, most of the time."

Strikedramon turned his head to the side, frowning when he saw the tears. "What's the matter, Ken?"

"What? Nothing."

"You're crying..." Strikedramon said, sounding a little confused.

"Crying?" Ken echoed, sounding just as confused. "No, I'm laughing. ...Aren't I?"

"No..." Strikedramon turned onto his side, looking a little concerned. "Are you feeling alright?"

The boy giggled. "My head hurts again, but... other than that, not really."

"Hm..." Strikedramon lifted the sheets up to wipe Ken's cheeks dry. "Odd, but as long as you're okay."

Ken started to chuckle. "I mean, my head really hurts right now. It's like..." He laughed. "It's like my heart is pounding in my brain. Makes me feel a little sick," he said and laughed a little harder.

"W-well... the bucket's there if you need it," Strikedramon said, scooting back a little bit.

"Ryo... Ryo, please tell me I'm crying now," Ken said through a suppressed giggle.

"You're laughing..."

Ken bit his lip and snorted. "Oh shit..." Suddenly he rolled over the other way and vomited right into the bucket there on the floor. Strikedramon looked completely confused. Were Ken's wires crossed? Was it even possible for that to happen? He hadn't seen anything like it before, and it worried him. Once he was done and had wiped his mouth clean, Ken would lie on his back again and look at Strikedramon with a smile. "Sorry about that."

"Do you want me to clean the cloth?" Strikedramon offered. He felt a bit unsettled by that smile, feeling like now he couldn't know if it was meant to be there or not.

His smile widened a little. "Please don't look at me like that. I... Whatever I'm doing, I don't mean it. It's..." Ken struggled for the words. "Affective... Affective inversion."

"Affective inversion? What's that mean?"

"It's another symptom of a head injury," Ken explained. "Basically, it's a display of emotion that are inappropriate to the situation. Most commonly seen is the inversion of two emotions. I'm sad and scared right now, but... You can't tell, can you?"

"You're smiling..." Strikedramon murmured, nodding his head slowly.

"I-Is this too weird for you?" Ken chuckled. "I won't make you stay. Maybe I really should get some sleep. I don't know..."

"No, I... I'll stay if you need me here. I'd feel terrible if I let you go to sleep and something happened..."

Ken bit his lip. "Maybe... Maybe I can..." It took a few minutes of trying, but Ken finally managed his expression into a neutral one. "How's that?"

Strikedramon let out a breath, nodding his head. "Yeah, that works. Sorry, I know it must've been hard. I mean, you're the one that's hurt, you shouldn't struggle with it if it's difficult..."

"Well, I'm thinking about the festival," Ken admitted. "A moderately pleasant memory should put a reasonable expression on my face. If I'm lucky, it won't last long."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Strikedramon asked in a quiet voice, tail whipping from side to side, showing the concern that would normally be reflected in his covered eyes.

"If I'm not?" Ken asked, looking at the face hidden behind the metal mask. "What can we do about it?"

"I don't know..." Strikedramon sighed, resting his head in his hand. "I just feel better asking."

Ken would just lie there for a little while, trying to think of something to say or do. He could tell Strikedramon was on edge. He wanted to help the Digimon feel better. "What... What was the tournament like, Ryo?"

"The tournament?" Strikedramon asked, looking surprised at the sudden question. "Well... um... it was weird. Really weird. Are... you sure you want to hear about it?"

Ken pondered this a moment. "Are you comfortable talking about it?"

"I mean... I guess I could, if you want to hear." Strikedramon leaned his head back, trying to remember back to the tournament. "When I first went through the portal, I remember getting bullied by some random kids when I got there. They expected someone more... fantastic, I guess, since they'd heard rumors that I'd beaten Millenniummon. Piximon showed up and broke it up, though, and took me to Gennai's place. I..." He looked a little surprised with himself at that moment. "I didn't even realize I'd met him before. It was such a brief meeting..." He shook his head, frowning at his own spotty memory, before continuing. "I stayed there while I was competing... they even set it up so I could talk to you." He frowned a little, looking at the boy. "You were really delirious then, though. Do you even remember that?"

Ken shook his head slowly, meaning to look a little saddened. "I struggled for a few months while Millenniummon took over. A lot of it is... just a blank."

"I thought so. I talked to you a few times but you never seemed... there." Strikedramon shook his head, dispelling the thought and moving on. "We were gathered together by one of the four Holy Beasts... he told us that the other three had turned evil and were all going to attempt to eliminate each other. Whomever won the tournament would partner up with the Holy Beast to defeat the other three..." He let out a sharp exhale then. "I was suspicious by this point."

The boy meant to frown, but it came off as a small, awkward grin. "Did the other Holy Beasts have their own tournaments? You know... find their own champions to fight along side of?" he asked, not quite understanding the story.

"No," Stikedramon said, shaking his head. "Think about it, Ken. This Holy Beast had managed to summon a bunch of tamers together, each with their own Digimon. Why would he set up a tournament to pick just one, rather than have us all fight together as an army?"

Ken laughed softly. "Um... I don't know. To... gain their power?"

The dragon man shook his head again. "Listen, I'm sure it will come to you." He put his hands on his knees, and swiped his reptilian tongue over his lips before he kept talking. "Before each round, we were required to go through a dungeon that was meant to be our training, and then we'd fight our opponent, depending on who made it through the dungeon. So... in the first match, I fought a kid named Koushiro. Izumi Koushiro, but he just went by Izzy... fought against me with a Tentomon."

"I know Izzy!" Ken gasped, eyes wide. The first oddly appropriate reaction he had so far. "He was a first generation with Taichi!"

"Yeah, I know you know him," Strikedramon said, putting a hand on his head. "That's what's so weird about it. And the next round, I was up against a kid named Willis... I'm sure you know him, too."

"Not personally," he said, "but he and Izzy are dating. Davis told me about him, too." Ken smirked again. "This is weird, Ryo..."

"Yeah." Ryo started to count off on his claws. "The next round I was up against Mimi Tachikawa and her Palmon." He laughed a little, shoulders slumping. "She had the nerve to ask me out on a date afterwards."

A quick frown. "I've been told she was quite the flirt back in the day. She's joined at the hip with Joe now." Ken was quiet, thinking again. "Ryo, why haven't they ever said anything about all of this?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Strikedramon murmured. "I'm sure Veemon and Wormmon are just as perplexed as I was. Maybe they don't remember or maybe they were brainwashed or... something..." He sighed and shook his head. "I don't have a good explanation for it, really."

Ken made a point to scoot a little closer to Strikedramon, staring up at him with curious eyes. "Then what happened?"

"Semi-finals I was up against Yamato Ishida and his Gabumon. And for the final round... Taichi Kamiya." Strikedramon's hands tightened on his kneecaps, the ends of his claws catching in the fabric of his pants. "That was a brutal battle."

Ken watched this and then reached out to hold one of the draconian claws. "But you won..."

"Yeah, I did win." Strikedramon sighed, shaking his head. "Not really, though."

"What happened, Ryo? You can tell me..." Ken encouraged him gently.

"The D-1 tournament... was a hoax," Strikedramon said. "I'd been selected to win from the beginning. The entire thing was a sham."

Ken smiled, but then stopped, realizing it. Instead, he forced a frown. A smile was nowhere near appropriate. "If that's true... then why didn't the Holy Beast just summon you by yourself?"

"They tricked me into going through those dungeons in order to train me," Strikedramon explained. "Even though... even though some of them were dangerous. Even though in one of them, I had to sacrifice a Digimon just to get through." His tail lashed back and forth and the metal tip hit the ground with an outraged clang. "Can you believe that?"

The boy pushed himself up, even though it made his head spin and throb. The blankets fell around his hips, showing his reckless wounds again, but he didn't make a fuss. Ken just moved through the sheets until he'd tangled himself into Strikedramon's lap, arms around the dragon man's neck. Hugging him gently. "It was a cruel trick, Ryo. They shouldn't have done that to you."

"That Digimon... had to die. Because they wanted to trick me back to the Digital World," Strikedramon said quietly, bowing his head into Ken's arms.

I know," Ken said, hushing Strikedramon softly and petting his hair. "It was a terrible thing to happen. You didn't deserve that. That Digimon didn't deserve it either."

"Do you know why they had to trick me, Ken?" Strikedramon asked then.

Ken shook his head. "You would have done anything they asked you to... Why would they have to trick you?"

"The real reason they called me there was to fight Moon-Millenniummon. The disembodied spirit of Milleniummon. There were no... evil Holy Beasts. The other Holy Beasts were fine. And in on it too! None of them could defeat Moon-Milleniummon, so they tricked me into that fake tournament." He growled under his breath, hands tightening again.

"Ryo, would you have, if they had just asked you?" Ken questioned quietly, only curious to know the answer. He was sure the answer would be 'yes,' but then again... Ryo had already been through so much against the immortal beast.

"I... I don't know," Strikedramon murmured. "Right now, I want to say 'no'. But... I feel like I only think that way because I'm so jaded about the way they tricked me into the fight. I think maybe if I was still a kid, I'd be thinking differently. But I really don't know now."

Ken just nodded and leaned against the Digimon. "I'm sorry, Ryo."

"I stopped speaking for a while after that," Strikedramon said, just to bring the story to its end. "The other kids tried to apologize, but I didn't listen. Still... I went to fight Moon-Millenniummon anyway. He lived on a floating island in this huge, crystal tower. That's when he told me that we could not die unless we died together, and that if he was defeated, I would die too." Strikedramon's lip twitched, unsure of the expression to put on his face. So, it just looked blank. "Then the entire island exploded."

"And it wasn't enough to take the both of you out?" Ken asked, but then decided he should be glad it didn't happen that way. "Never mind. I don't want to think about it."

"I believe Moon-Millennimmon escaped through a time portal before the explosion could kill him. He'd meant to take me with him, but I was somehow transported into the past instead," Strikedramon explained. "Because I woke up alive. Badly burned... but alive. And shortly afterwards, I met Monodramon." He smiled wistfully, though it was only a slight upturning of his lips. "Even though I wouldn't say a word to him, he was determined to help me. I must've been silent for a year... maybe two after that. But he still stuck by me, even when we went to take on Millenniummon again."

Ken nodded, nuzzling just slightly into the dragon man's neck. "He sounds like a really great partner... To have only just met you and be that patient with you."

"He was convinced he was meant to be my partner," Strikedramon answered, lifting one of his hands from the death-grip on his knee to more gently place it on Ken's side. "Nothing could deter him."

The boy gasped softly and trembled briefly at the touch. "He's done so much for you, hasn't he?"

"He gave up his life for me. Took Millenniummon into his body for me..." Strikedramon nodded his head. "He's done everything he could for me. And we weren't even destined partners in the end."

"Of course you are," Ken insisted. "Someone who isn't your partner wouldn't go through so much for you."

"Millenniummon... is my partner," Strikedramon said in a low voice. "He was supposed to be my destined partner. Monodramon was a great companion and he did so much for me... but he technically wasn't my partner."

Ken shook his head. "Ryo, that isn't true. You know that... Monodramon was your Chosen partner. You and he were destined to do this together. It's Monodramon who still lays his head in your lap, and puts peaches in your hair, and who steps out first to protect you. You know that..."

"I thought that. But when I discovered that Millennimmon and I are really immortal when we're not together... I began to doubt it." Strikedramon leaned his head back then, staring up at the ceiling. "How I wish Monodramon was my partner, though."

"Then he is," Ken said firmly, yet softly. "Willis has two Digimon. Sure Millenniummon might be tied to you mortally, but Monodramon is the one truly dedicated to you. Millenniummon doesn't do anything a partner should. Monodramon does. So... You have two partners. Don't you think?"

"I've had many partners," Strikedramon answered. "Agumon, Gabumon, Palmon, Tentomon, Gomamon, Biyomon, Patamon, Gatomon... Veemon... even Wormmon for a while. And even more than that. I've raised many Digimon. I've been able to make them all Digivolve and I've fought alongside all of them. Including Monodramon." Strikedramon shook his head. "But the only one I'm bound to is Millenniummon. The others all can, would, and will leave."

"But Monodramon didn't!" Ken insisted, tightening his hold on Strikedramon. "Monodramon didn't go anywhere! If you want Monodramon to be your partner so badly, then tell yourself to accept as such. He will be whatever you want him to be. He's still here... He's still here, Ryo."

"Sometimes I don't think Millenniummon is my partner either," Strikedramon murmured. "Sometimes I wonder if I can even really have partners at all." He was quiet for a moment, but his expression suddenly changed as if he realized he'd said something he hadn't meant to. He looked down, and quickly said, "You should get some rest, Ken. Not sleep yet, but... maybe you should be laying down."

Ken made a small whine of a noise. "You're hurting, though..."

"I'll be fine. You're the one that's injured," Strikedramon said, trying to pry the boy off of him to place him back down on the bed.

"N-No!" Ken yelped, almost grappling to keep his place wrapped around the large Digimon.

"Ken..." Strikedramon said almost warningly, still trying to get Ken off. But he was attempting to be gentle, while Ken was wrapped around him far too tightly for that. With his large claws, the dragon man couldn't do much more without risking hurting the boy. "Ken..."

Ken continued to whine, desperate to hold one. Strikemon was strong, though, even his gentle pushing was enough to move Ken off. "No! N-N...No!" the boy cried when the Digimon finally had him at arm's length, looking back at the covered face with blood dripping out from under the head dressings, right eye closed against the wet stain. "You're just pushing me away..."

"You're hurting yourself more," Strikedramon gasped, alarm taking over his muddled expression when he saw the blood. "Ken, stop! You're bleeding!"

Ken opened his mouth to argue, but then his lips just fell together as he slumped in Strikedramon's hold. "Fine..."

Strikedramon started looking around for more bandages, as he tried to carefully lay Ken back on the bed. "You need to be careful, Ken..."

The boy snickered quietly, but then bit his lip to force himself to stop. "It's just a scratch," he insisted, unaware of how badly he'd really gotten hurt. "It just needs a fresh gauze. That's all."

"No Ken, this is serious," Strikedramon said with a deep frown, getting up to search for the rest of the bandages. "Do you remember those rocks you were crushed under?"

"I don't remember anything," Ken grumbled. "As far as I'm concerned, we just left the abbey like, twenty minutes ago..."

"We fought Minotarumon. You had Wormmon Digivolve to Quetzalmon, who had a move that causes paralysis. I was hit by it and was nearly crushed by rocks, and you jumped on top of me." Finally finding the bandages, Strikedramon began to fumble with his claws to try and unravel fresh ones. "I don't know what you were thinking. I could have taken the rock slide just fine, but you... you got seriously hurt, Ken."

"No... No, we talked about this already," Ken hissed touching his now throbbing head. "I told you. I was trying to protect you."

"But I still don't understand why," Strikedramon breathed, sitting down and still attempting to peel apart the fresh bandage. "I would have been fine. You could have gotten yourself killed."

"I didn't know that!" Ken said. "All I saw was you, and those boulders coming down, and you couldn't move! I would have done it for anyone!" He just snatched the bandages from Strikedramon's claws and unraveled it for himself, blinking back tears. "So I'm sorry for... for trying to help."

Strikedramon was quiet for a few moments, watching Ken tear at the bandages, and he lifted his tail to wipe away the beginning of the tears. "I just worry, Ken. You make me worry."

"I don't mean to," the boy whispered.

"I know you don't mean to, Ken, but I've told you before... sometimes you need to think about yourself first. I can survive these things in this body... you can't. And if you're worried about me getting hurt physically..." He put his tail under Ken's chin then, turning it up so the boy looked at him. "Can you imagine how much it'll hurt me emotionally if I get you killed?"

Indigo eyes quivered looking into that metal face, wishing so much he could see a pair of blue eyes. "I... I've never..." Ken choked on the words. "I haven't..."

Strikedramon just stared back with that eyeless gaze, waiting for what the boy would say. "You haven't..."

"I haven't b-been able to... to accept..." Ken swallowed. "To accept that m-my life is worth anything, y-yet..."

"If your life isn't worth anything to you..." Strikedramon murmured calmly. "Try to remember what it's worth to me before you throw it away. Because I think it's worth... so much."

Ken choked softly. "It's so h-hard, Ryo. After all the horrible, horrible things I d-did... It's in the past now and everyone else has f-forgiven me, but... but I have to live it. No m-matt-ter what I do, I never feel like it's been enough. I still b-believe, in the back of myself, that I'm still not w-worth loving. Not by you, my friends, or even my... my p-parents. I throw myself in harm's way thinking maybe... maybe it'll f-finally be that deed that makes me better..."

Strikedramon stared for a few moments, before quietly coming to sit next to Ken. "Wrap your head, and then come here," he said calmly, extending his arms to Ken but pointing to the bandages first.

Ken blinked at Strikedramon a couple of times before doing as he was told. When the soiled bandages came off, he noticed a jagged piece of rock in the blood. It must have been what was making his head screwed up. It was out now, though, allowing him to cry like he needed to. Ken wiped his face clean and wrapped fresh bandages around his head. Finally he crawled into the Digimon's lap, huddling close.

Strikedramon wrapped his arms around the boy, pulling him close to his chest. "You're acting appropriately now," he pointed out, as he stroked Ken's back with one large hand, hoping to calm him a bit.

The boy just made those huffed snuffling sounds as he nodded. "There was a r-r-rock..." he said and pointed to the pile of used gauze. "B-Better n-now."

"Good," Strikedramon murmured, nuzzling his snout against Ken's cheek. Ken whimpered softly and reached up to stroke trembling fingers along the metal helmet. He was getting so tired, but was terrified of falling asleep. "Do you think you'll be okay to sleep now?" Strikedramon asked in a hushed voice, pressing his head into the touch like a cat.

"I'm still scared to," Ken admitted in almost the same voice, his just shaking a bit more.

Strikedramon nodded his head a bit. "I don't blame you. Well, just... try and stay awake as long as you can, then. But you'll have to sleep eventually." Strikedramon pulled the boy closer as he spoke. "I'll watch over while you do, if that makes you feel any better."

Ken sniffled quietly and nodded. "...An acorn rolled down and down. He suddenly fell into a pond. Then came the loaches. Hi boy. Come play with us..."

"The acorn enjoyed playing with them... But he soon begn to cry," Strikedramon sang back, though his gruff voice seemed to have difficulty singing. "I want to go back to the mountain..."

"The loaches didn't know what to do..." Just as the song ended, Ken began again, looking for Strikedramon to sing his part as well. Over and over the lines were sung to each other, until Ken reached the point of exhaustion. The boy drifted off mid-word, at once going limp against the Digimon's chest as heavy breathing took over.


	26. Time, Space, and Memories

Strikedramon didn't manage to sleep very much. He'd grabbed a few winks here and there, but he'd mostly been far too worried about the sleeping Ken who leaned against him. Worried something might go wrong and maybe if he watched him closely, he could react and help if such a problem occurred. Nothing ever did, though, and soon there was light filtering in through the expensive pane class windows, signaling morning. When the dragon man realized how much time had passed, he groaned to himself a little. He'd spent the entire evening and night sitting up worrying. When the light finally hit Ken's face, it was hard to stay asleep. He mumbled softly, words still stuck in a dream as he rolled in closer to the dragon. A gentle shift of those strong arms brought him around though. Indigo eyes blinked open and Ken yawned. "Mmn... Ryo?" he sighed, looking up at the dragon man. "Did you get any sleep?"

Strikedramon let out a long, thankful breath when Ken began to stir and speak. "Not really," he answered quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"I still ache everywhere," he replied, but nuzzled against the large Digimon anyway. "My head doesn't hurt nearly as much, though."

"Well... that's something," Strikedramon murmured. "Do you think you'll need to rest today?"

Ken was quiet for a moment. "I'd like to," he admitted, lifting his hand, looking at the pins in it. "But I don't want us to fall behind, either. We're so close..."

"One day won't kill us, Ken. And besides, if you're hurt, it'll probably be slow going anyway." He looked around at the room, shrugging his shoulders lethargically. "On top of that, like I said yesterday, Persiamon sleeps most of the day. We could just relax until she wakes up looking for company during meal time."

Ken nodded and yawned again. "Do you think we'll go back to the city, Ryo?"

"It's probably our best bet. We can raise a bit more money, maybe buy some food to take with us on the trip, and try and get some leads," Strikedramon answered with a nod.

"Where are we supposed to go, though?" Ken asked. "What's after this? Do you know?"

"Yeah, the Rosemon told me," Strikedramon answered. "We need to fight Wingdramon next... he's at Gale Tower. After that... we're up to the Generals."

Ken was quiet again, thinking about everything that came with that information. How close they really were. How much more dangerous it was going to get. How Strikedramon would be changing soon... "Is it far?"

"It's close to Asuka," Strikedramon said, tail flicking gently. It was laying across Ken's lap, now twitching idly. "So if we go back there to get supplies, we'll be close to the tower."

The boy's good hand began to pet Strikedramon's tail. "Is it at least a Vaccine this time?" Ken asked quietly.

"Yeah," Strikedramon said, nodding. "We won't be fighting a Virus until we go for the general."

"I'm glad. You'll have your head about you for the fight. At least... until you evolve." Indigo eyes glanced upward. "You will, you know..."

"It was... inevitable that I'd eventually have to reach Cyberdramon," Strikedramon said, tapping his claws against his knee. "You'll... have to be careful with me then."

"You won't be able to talk to me anymore, will you?"

Strikedramon shook his head sadly. "Once Cyberdramon goes beserk for the first time after evolution, he loses his ability to speak."

Ken's fingers twitched against the purple scales. "Will you... be able to understand me?"

"Yeah, I will," Strikedramon said. "Don't know if I'll listen, though..."

"Can I touch you?"

"I wouldn't recommend it."

More silence as Ken blinked and warm, familiar droplets landed on Strikedramon's scales. "It won't even be you, will it?"

Strikedramon could feel those tears, and frowned gently. But he still answered. "It's possible... that it won't be. I may sleep, like Cyberdramon did when we were Hopmon..."

Ken whined, trying his hardest not to cry. None of this could be helped. They knew it was coming. It had to happen if Ryo was ever going to truly come back. However, that didn't mean Ken was any less prepared for it. "My chest hurts," he whimpered.

Strikedramon sighed, his tail and arms tightening to wrap Ken back up and pull him against his chest again. He expected the sadness, but this had to be done. Unless he wanted to be a Digimon forever... Ken would have to suffer through Cyberdramon's constant hostility, without Ryo's help or guidance. "I'm sorry, Ken."

The door to the room opened some time later, letting a quartet of Mikemon file into the room. They came to stand beside the bed and looked up at the pair sitting there. "Bath time!" three of them announced while the fourth actually stepped forward.

"Mistress Persiamon requests _your_ presence for morning tea," he said to Strikedramon. Ken just looked at them and huddled closer to the dragon man, his intentions for them made clear.

"Come on, Ken," Strikedramon sighed, patting the boy's back. "We are sort of staying in her palace. It's best to be hospitable... besides, doesn't a bath sound nice?"

"Bath time!" they insisted again. 

"I don't want to go with them," Ken said, frowning at the cats. "Who are they, anyway?"

"They're Mikemon. They act as Persiamon's assistants... she has a royal guard of PawnChessmon and Knightmon, but these guys just help with stuff like food and cleaning. There's nothing to worry about, Ken."

"Bath time!" they all said again and held up their paws, showing they wanted Ken to go with them now. 

Ken looked hesitantly from the Mikemon to Strikedramon. "You'll be close by?"

"I'll be just downstairs," Strikedramon said. "And I'm sure Wormmon is around here, too." Ken conceded with a nod. He crawled out from Strikedramon's lap and stood, his legs at once trying to give out from under him. The Mikemon jumped into action, though, wrapping their paws around his calves and holding him in place. It was only with their help that Ken was able to make it to the bathroom where the door closed behind him. Strikedramon watched carefully, wanting to make sure everything was alright. After he was sure Ken hadn't fallen and hit the tile, he pushed himself up and started for the doorway, rubbing at his mask where his eyes might have been. He passed Wormmon on the stairs as he started to head down to meet Persiamon, and offered a flick of his tail to show the other Digimon where his partner was.

"Ryo," purred Persiamon when she saw him. "You always did know how to keep me waiting," she said and approached him. Persiamon then tilted her head up, waiting for her good morning kiss like she always did. Of course she expected him to remember.

Strikedramon remembered, but he worried on his lip a bit as he contemplated what to do. It didn't quite feel right now. He leaned down, but placed the kiss on her cheek. "I don't think it's appropriate for me to do this anymore," he explained quietly as he pulled back to his full height.

Persiamon just smiled. "Oh? And why is that, darling?" she asked, looking up at him with those lidded teal eyes.

"I'm uh... taken," Strikedramon said, scratching at the side of his neck. It seemed odd to say.

She only continued to smile. "By the boy?"

"Yeah," Strikedramon said, still looking a bit awkward. He knew Persiamon was very laid back, but he hadn't really said this except vaguely to Lotosmon, and a bit more bluntly than he wanted to to the rest of the Digimon in the abbey.

Persiamon just nodded. "He looks tender. Be nice to him," she said before lacing her arms in with his. It wasn't that she was refusing to accept his 'dating' status, but Persiamon just had a way about her. She liked to touch, being freely affectionate without consequence, and spoiled. "Do you prefer muffins or scones?"

Strikedramon let out a breath. Persiamon was a good first person to try breaking the news to- at least she was very accepting and calm. "I could go for a muffin," he answered, looking around the foyer before remembering where the dining room was and starting to lead the way.

"We have many muffins," she told him. "Chocolate chip, blueberry, banana nut, orange cranberry... I adore the little bite sized ones, but we have big ones too." Persiamon took her seat once in the dining room, again pausing for Strikedramon to pull out her chair and then push it in for her. "I much prefer you as a boy," she said as she began pouring the tea.

"Instead of a Digimon?" Strikedramon asked as he did was what expected of him, before going to take his own seat- on the side of the table while Persiamon took the head. They were large, wooden things with plush seats, with backs so tall that he had to sling his tail over the armrest instead of the back.

Persiamon smirked. "No, as an apple."

Strikedramon paused, then laughed a little. "I guess I walked into that one."

"I don't like that you have no eyes," she went on to say, like an explanation was needed.

"Yeah, so I've been told," Strikedramon murmured, touching his helmet.

"It's impossible to tell what you're thinking. I can't tell if you're looking at me or daydreaming." Persiamon set the fragile cup of tea in front of him then. "Sugar?"

Strikedramon stared at the cup for a moment, unsure of how he was going to pick up the cup with his clawed hands. He decided to watch Persiamon delicately sip hers to try and figure out how she did it- her claws were almost as long as his, after all. "Sure, thank you."

"One lump or two?" she asked, lifting the sugar bowl.

"One's fine," Strikedramon answered, still watching her maneuver her claws around the china expertly.

Persiamon nodded, dropping one cube in his and two in her own. "Lemon? Honey?"

"No thank you," Strikedramon said, now trying to grip the cup on his own, and obviously having a bit of a difficult time about it. He wasn't about to let a tea cup get the better of him, though, and continued to try as he asked, "How have things been around here?"

A spoonful of honey was stirred into her own tea. Persiamon then slipped her claw in through the handle, carefully lifted it to her lips, and drank. "There have been some attacks," she confessed. "This dreadful war is giving me a headache."

"Attacks..." Strikedramon frowned, half at the news and half because his claw was thicker than Persiamon's and wouldn't slip as far into the handle. Oh well, it would have to do. "Even all the way out here, huh... Have Knightmon and his soldiers been able to fight them off?"

"Well, my palace isn't in ruins yet," she replied, again using sarcasm over a simple yes or no answer.

"I can see that..." Strikedramon hummed, finally managing to take a sip from the tea cup. "And... you? Have you gotten hurt?"

Persiamon shook her head. "Not at all. I prefer to have my nails manicured, but don't think I won't strike with them either," she said with a small grin.

Strikedramon smiled as well, nodding his head. "Well, that's good to hear."

"So which general do you plan on fighting first?" she asked, sipping her tea and nibbling on a blueberry scone.

"Well..." Strikedramon frowned a bit, tapping his tail as he thought. "Since we don't know where the Holy Capitol is, we don't have much of a choice. Unless we come across it by chance, but the odds aren't very good. I would have liked to be separated from Cyberdramon before we fought the Virus general... but it may just not work out."

Persiamon nodded. "Finding the Holy Capitol is a difficult challenge. You could always consult with Wisemon about it. I'm sure he'd know where to find it."

"Wisemon..." Strikedramon hummed. "I've heard about him, but... doesn't he float through the space-time of the Digital World? He'd be just as difficult to find, unless we found a way to transcend this dimension... I haven't dimension-hopped in quite a while."

She blinked her big eyes. "I have his Book."

"What?" Strikedramon gasped, looking over at her. "Since when!"

"That's not important, darling," she responded with a wave of her hand. "And neither is how I got it. All you need to worry about is whether you want to use it or not."

"Well... I can't think of anyone else better to ask, unless we wanted to trek all the way back to the Continent of Flame and ask Shamanmon," the dragon man hummed. "So yeah, I'd like to speak with him, if you'll let me."

The tips of her nail tapped her cheek as she leaned forward, grinning again. "You think you can behave, darling?"

"Uh, I hope so," Strikedramon answered, scratching at his neck, ruffling his own long hair. "I've heard Wisemon is really powerful. Not the kind of guy you want to offend."

"And a Virus type," she sang.

"Oh... is that so..." Strikedramon froze, moving his hand to touch his chin and looking thoughtful. "Maybe I shouldn't, then... Maybe Ken or Wormmon could speak with him."

"He's quite an amazing Digimon to meet," she said, not really considering his dilemma. "It almost feels like time stops when he shows up. You can feel his eyes inside you, studying every part of you, even while he speaks."

Strikedramon continued to worry on his lip. His curiosity was overwhelming, but he knew he shouldn't take the chance. Accidentally going off on a Digimon with as much power as Wisemon had could be potentially disastrous. "I'll have to think about it," he said slowly.

Persiamon just nodded. Next she picked up a plate of the larger muffins, ones more suited for the dragon man, and smiled. "Take as many as you like."

"Thank you," Strikedramon said with a small bow of his head, grabbing one of the muffins. He was thankful they were much more manageable than the teacup was with his large hands, though those draconic jaws of his managed to polish one off in two bites, even though he was eating slowly and politely.

The feline smiled as she watched him, indulging in more of her tea. Even pouring another cup. "So darling," she said, tail swaying behind her, "you never came to visit me. What happened? Palace life too rich for you?"

"It wasn't that," Strikedramon answered, shaking his head a little. "It was just... Well, first, I got wrapped up in helping the real world for a while. And then I felt it best to stay by myself while I tried to get Cyberdramon under control when I came back."

Persiamon hummed and circled the rim of her cup with her nail. "He and I wouldn't have gotten along, would we?" she said, knowing the dragon's nature against Virus types. "Of course. You've been rather well behaved around me, haven't you, darling?"

Strikedramon was about to answer Persiamon's first question when she posed the second. That was right... Persiamon was a Virus-type, but he hadn't acted violently at all. He put down the second muffin he was about to bite into and gave her a confused look, though disguised by his helmet. "You're right, I have been." He hummed a little, then looking thoughtful. "Maybe it's because you never act violently. Cyberdramon can be calm around Virus-types sometimes if they don't attack him, and if he's not already riled up and looking for them..."

She smiled now. "Seems you've trained him brilliantly, darling."

Strikedramon paused again. "You... think so?"

"Of course," she replied. "I'm sure without you, he'd be rampaging the country side, attacking any and all Virus Digimon unlucky enough to cross his path. To have such fair judgment, knowing the difference between hostile and passive, it took a great deal of patience and wisdom to teach him that."

Strikedramon listened carefully, slowly nodding his head. "I... I guess that is true. Even if he does go berserk and a little too far in battle... not going crazy at the first whiff of a Virus-type is something." He smiled a bit wistfully and snorted through his nose. "Who would have guessed it was going to take merging together to teach him that."

"Hands on teaching is the best kind," Persiamon said with a quiet laugh.

"I suppose so," Strikedramon answered with a small smile. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it, darling. Besides, if that really is the case, you can probably meet Wisemon with no trouble."

"Maybe..." Strikedramon contemplated it for a moment, before going back to his breakfast. He figured if anything, he needed the energy. He'd make his choice after talking it over with Ken.

"The boy is probably hungry," Persiamon said after a while. They had both finished their tea and she'd watched Strikedramon eat four muffins. "Why don't you bring him a tray? Mikemon," she called, clapping her hands. 

A pair scampered into the room. "Yes, Mistress Persiamon!" 

"Prepare a tray for the boy upstairs. Tea, muffins, everything."

Strikedramon watched as the Mikemon started to put together a tray, nodding his head. "Yeah, that'll be nice. He needs all the energy he can get." He suppressed a yawn, not wanting to appear rude, and bowed his head. "Thank you, Persiamon."

The feline just grinned again, tapping her nails. "Looks like we're both ready for a nap."

"Didn't get any sleep last night," Strikedramon answered, laughing a bit sheepishly.

"Why not?" she asked. "Bed too soft? I _love_ a soft, comfy bed."

"No, no, nothing wrong with the bed," Strikedramon said. "I was just... worried. Worried something might happen to Ken while he was asleep because of his injuries. I figured if I stayed awake, I could do something."

Persiamon smiled. "That was certainly sweet of you, darling. Take the Mikemon upstairs with you and see that the boy eats something. I'll be napping in the parlor should you need me." She leaned forward, again looking for a departing kiss. Old habits died hard, and for some, habits were never to be given up. Strikedramon complied, but went for the kiss on the cheek again. He didn't blame her for trying. He then stood and turned to the Mikemon, taking the tray and following them back upstairs.

Upstairs, Ken was back in the bed, but he was pouting, annoyed. There were Mikemon all over the place, each one using its paws to lotion and wrap every single one of his wounds. Really, there was more calico going on than boy. Ken had insisted again and again that he could do it, but the Mikemon would just nag him until he let them take care of things. Strikedramon came into the room and couldn't help a small smirk at the almost amusing site of Ken being fussed over by all those Mikemon. Wormmon was sitting on the bed too, looking like he had tried to help but just wound up getting a bath, too, judging by the towel wrapped around everything but his face. Strikedramon walked into the room and placed the tray on the night table, waiting for the Mikemon to finish their work and disperse. "Mistress Persiamon says it's time for the boy to eat," announced one of the Mikemon that came up with Strikedramon.

"Breakfast time!" said the other.

"Breakfast time!" the others chimed in reply, acknowledging the instructions given. They finished bandaging Ken and then all hopped down off the bed. They lingered, though, standing in a line, looking up at him with their tails waving around. "Breakfast time!" 

"I know!" Ken groaned at them.

"We've got it from here," Strikedramon piped up, dismissing the Mikemon with a wave of his tail.

They all looked up at Strikedramon, then at each other, and finally the whole herd just scampered their way out of the room. Ken sighed as he was finally allowed to lean back and relax. "I wasn't sure if they would ever leave."

"They're hard to get used to," Strikedramon said with a laugh. He sat down on the bed next to Wormmon, motioning to the tray now sitting beside Ken. "There's your breakfast. There's some fruit on there for you too, Wormmon."

"Oh, thank you," Wormmon said, peering out from inside the towel.

Ken just smiled at his Digimon. He reached out with his good hand and helped unwrap Wormmon from the towel. "He came in to help," Ken said to Strikedramon. "Before either of us knew it, he was in the water with a bar of soap behind his antenna."

"They can be pushy," Strikedramon said with an almost wistful smile.

"'Bath time! Bath time!' they kept saying," the boy groaned with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah, I get it." Ken made himself a cup of tea then; two sugars and no honey, but he took the lemon. "Like they have little one track minds."

"I think they just do it because Persiamon often has a one-track mind," Strikedramon joked. "Sometimes she can get really distracted really quickly if you don't keep reminding her of what you're talking about."

The pale boy sighed and sipped at his tea. "So, what kind of romantic romp did you have with this one?" he asked, but kept his eyes on the liquid in his cup.

Strikedramon shook his head, leaning back. "Unlike the other digital women I've met, Persiamon wasn't crazy and actually is a good friend. She expects to be treated like a princess, yeah, kiss her rings and all that, and she's overly physical at times, but mostly she just wanted company in the palace by someone other than her servants and guards."

"Wow, a lady Digimon _not _interested in getting into your pants? The world must be coming to an end," Ken teased with a small smile around the lip of the teacup.

"If she was interested, she never told me in Japanese," Strikedramon laughed, putting his hands behind his head and leaning against the headboard.

Indigo eyes glanced upward. "She speaks another language?"

"Arabic," Strikedramon said. "I'm pretty sure most of the Digimon living in the palace can speak it, too, but they switch to Japanese when visitors arrive."

Ken hummed. "I don't know that one..."

"You'd be surprised how many Digimon are bi-lingual or even multi-lingual. Being data, they've got the capacity for it, after all," Strikedramon said with a shrug.

Ken looked down at his own Digimon. "Have you been hiding second language skills from me, Wormmon?"

Wormmon shook his head quickly. "No! I only speak Japanese," he said, tapping his little claws together.

The boy smiled. "That's awfully panicked and secretive of you."

"Why would I lie about that?" Wormmon asked, looking confused.

Strikedramon snickered. "He's secretly having French rendezvous, obviously."

Ken laughed. "Est ce vrai, Wormmon? Apprenez-vous du français derrière mon dos?"

Wormmon warbled in a way that might've been like pouting, if he had lips. "I don't speak French!" he insisted.

"Pas même un peu?" he asked, giving Wormmon a playful poke.

"What?" Wormmon said, antenna twitching, looking a little distressed as Ken kept talking to him in French.

"Looks like I was wrong," Strikedramon laughed.

Ken nodded and pet his Digimon gently now. "So it would seem. I'll need to teach both of you, then."

Wormmon looked surprised, but Strikedramon just grinned. "I'd like that," they both said, almost in unison, which caused Strikedramon to start laughing gently again, until a yawn broke through his lips.

"You really stayed up all night watching me, huh?" Ken asked, looking up at the dragon-man.

"I was concerned," Strikedramon murmured, rubbing his hand over the top of his helmet. "I tried to get to sleep, but I kept waking back up."

Ken nodded. "Maybe you can squeeze a cat nap in."

"Well, we're not going to be leaving until you're ready, so I might as well try," Strikedramon murmured. "I need to be well-rested before we go back out there, anyway," he added, turning his head to look towards the ornately decorated window.

"Come here," Ken said, gesturing towards himself. "I have something to help you sleep."

Strikedramon glanced back over, leaning towards Ken, tail flicking with interest. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's a sound that I know you like." Ken leaned back against the pillows and pulled Strikedramon's head to his chest. "It's always here when you want it, remember?"

"Oh... right..." Strikedramon smiled a little, letting out a breath and letting his body sink down into the sheets, head resting against Ken's chest. "Thanks, Ken," he murmured, his voice already starting to sound tired and distant.

"Ryo..." Ken's voice was soft and far away as he started to try waking his friend. "Ryo... Persiamon is here..." It had been a few hours, a better part of the day actually. "She says it's time to visit... Wisemon?" 

The dragon-man groaned and tried to refuse waking up with a wave of his claw, but Strikedramon practically snapped awake, getting straight up into a sitting position, when he heard Wisemon's name. "Wisemon, right," he breathed, quickly trying to shake his head free of sleep.

Ken worried on his lower lip. "You didn't mention this..."

"Well, he's... he's sort of like Shamanmon," Strikedramon tried to explain. "He can help us figure out where to go next. He's just... stronger than Shamanmon." Strikedramon still looked a little worried, despite his talk with Persiamon that morning.

The boy frowned. "Then why do you look like you might wet your pants, Ryo?"

Strikedramon's tail smacked against the sheets. "He's a Virus-type, and I'm worried something might go wrong. If Wisemon does something that sets me off, his retaliation could be massive."

"_How _massive?" Ken pushed.

"He might imprison us inside some stones that control time and space," Strikedramon said quickly, as if he was trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal. "He sort of... controls that."

Indigo eyes blinked. "Fantastic!" Ken chirped and clapped his hands together.

Strikedramon paused, hesitated, and then looked down at Ken. "Are you being sarcastic?" he asked.

"This is how I freak out," Ken replied, all grins. "I treat everything like it's peachy and hilarious. You like it? Of course you don't. Neither do I. It's great. So! Let's go try and be on our besties and not get trapped in oblivion."

"Um..." Strikedramon frowned, looking more than a little uncomfortable with Ken's... coping mechanism. "The other option is for you to leave me behind," he added. "If you think you and Wormmon will be okay."

Ken made a flustered noise. "And get trapped without you to rag on for the rest of eternity? Oh heavens, no. You're totally coming with. Besides, you have to carry me."

"Stingmon could carry you," Strikedramon pointed out. "And if I'm not there to accidentally attack him, then the risk of him doing something is significantly lowered."

"No, you are so totes coming with!" Ken said, pointing a dramatic finger at Strikedramon. "You want this to get worse?" he asked, now circling his face with the same finger. "This will totes get worse if you don't come with. You are my rock. My rock! Be my awesome rock, Ryo!"

Strikedramon flinched a little. "If I be your rock, will you stop acting like this?" he asked tentatively. "Because you do realize I could make it worse just by being there."

"My. Rock. Ryo."

"Okay, okay," Strikedramon sighed. Wormmon had been looking between the two of them, looking a little sad and concerned but not saying anything. "I'll come, then. Let's go find Persiamon," he murmured, standing up and picking up Ken and Wormmon in his arms.

Ken held Wormmon in his hands, looking into those big blue eyes. "You'll be my rock too, right? I very well can't get trapped in oblivion without my best friend."

Wormmon's eyes reflected a wistful smile. "Yeah, Ken," he said quietly, nodding his head, as Strikedramon brought them out of the room and headed downstairs.

Persiamon waited for them at the bottom of the stairs. "Good evening, darling," she said to Ryo, smiling and leaning out with her cheek. Ken knew what she wanted, but resolved himself to stay composed. Persiamon was a spoiled princess after all. Nothing else.

"Good evening," Strikedramon answered, leaning down and kissing Persiamon's cheek. He knew Ken probably felt weird about this, but he felt he'd explained himself well enough. "We're going to be speaking with Wisemon tonight, then?" he asked, letting out a long breath to calm himself.

She shrugged plainly. "The longer you wait, the less inclined you'll be to see him. Wisemon can tell you exactly where to find the ever elusive capitol. You can't just stop at the general of the Infection. We all know that the Cleansing can't be allowed to happen either." Persiamon then began to lead the way. "I keep his book in an old parlor I never used." 

Ken looked at his Digimon. "Have you ever heard of Wisemon before, Wormmon?"

Wormmon shook his head. "No, never."

"He's a Digimon who lives in a dimension all his own, contained within a book," Strikedramon explained as they started to follow. "Rumor has it that he can appear anywhere using this book, but he mostly keeps to himself. The book used to be floating in the space in between the different zones of the Digital World until it ended up here..."

"It wasn't easy getting it here, believe me," Persiamon said. "I don't plan on letting it go anytime soon, either. Wisemon's book is one of the holy grails of the Digital World. You don't just trade something like that for a new pair of shoes, you know." She stopped in front of a fairly small door that Strikedramon would have to duck to get through. "The book is in there. I apologize for the cobwebs. They seem to just accumulate around the book on their own. Really the whole room is something out of a hocus pocus story, but I suppose that's what I get. All you have to do is speak his name."

"Thank you, Persiamon," Strikedramon said, leaning down to give her another kiss, on the opposite cheek. He wasn't being forced this time, but it was the least he could do. As apprehensive he was about meeting Wisemon in his condition, but couldn't deny that the princess was doing them a great favor. He then ducked inside, having to keep his head low, tail swiping from side to side to try and dispel the cobwebs and dust. The book, strange as it was expected to be, was floating above a pedestal that it might have otherwise perched on.

Ken gazed at the book, only having seen such a thing in movies of the occult. He supposed it only made sense for something like that to make it into the Digital World. "You can put me down," he whispered, like anything louder would disrupt the book from its hovering roost.

Strikedramon nodded his head and slowly placed Ken down on the floor, making sure he was steady before he let him go. "Whenever you're ready," he said, turning his gaze back to the book. Wormmon climbed up onto Ken's shoulder, feeling more ready there than the laid-back position in his boy's arms.

Ken nodded slowly. He took a step closer to the book, licked his lips, and spoke the single name of, "Wisemon." The book jerked erect and suddenly opened with a gust of air. Its pages turned at flying speeds until the book was open at its center. The blank pages began to glow with ancient red text that even Izzy could never so much as fathom to translate. Ken blinked and he was there. A tall figure hovered over the book, hidden beneath a dark brown robe with an old leather belt around his waist. The Digimon's face was concealed beneath a dirty white shawl that draped off the back of his shoulders like tattered wings. Each hand was raised, holding a hovering stone. In his right hand was the red stone of time and in his left was the yellow stone of space. Two glowing orbs stared at the three bodies, the only real hint of a face beneath the pitch black shadows. Wisemon breathed and Ken could feel it beating in his chest.

Strikedramon and Wormmon both were unsure of what to do. Wormmon was struck dumb with awe, while Strikedramon was nervous of his body betraying him. He could already feel his nostrils flaring, taking in the scent of the Virus-type now hovering before them. He froze his muscles, restraining himself, and clamped his jaw shut. Seemed Ken would be on his own with this one until Wormmon loosened up. "Ryo Akiyama the Legendary Tamer," Wisemon spoke, bringing the stone of time forward. From it projected an image. The moment in time when Ryo and his Monodramon made their sacrifice to put an end to Millenniummon's terror. "Wormmon the Digimon of Kindness," he spoke next, playing out Leafmon's first birth, hatching from his egg and taking nest next to the Digivice that would one day be Ken's. The two of them both nodded their heads- not to affirm that Wisemon was correct, but more out of respect. Nearly bows, but a bit too stiff to really be qualified as such. Wormmon looked a little embarrassed by the image playing out in the stone, while Strikedramon's throat ran dry from seeing it. "Ken Ichijouji the Chosen Child of Kindness." Indigo eyes watched the stone, expecting to see himself discovering his crest, but instead, he saw his first act as the Digimon Kaiser. "Led astray." Wisemon's voice echoed out from the pale hood, as if the words were birthed from a deep void, making the air chill. Ken closed his eyes. He didn't want to see that. The memories were hard enough without seeing it actually play out before him. "So unlike the others," Wisemon observed, "With tainted virtue." Ken felt a hand on his cheek. At once his skin broke out in a freezing sweat and his breath came out in a visible quivering fog.

Though the two Digimon had tried to keep their mouths shut, they both noticed when Ken suddenly let out that shuddering breath. "Ken?" they both gasped, eyes snapping over towards the boy.

The yellow stone of space came to hover in front of the boy, pulsing with a glow that was in perfect sync with the young human's heart. "If there is nothing else you wish to speak of me, I will take this human for my observance. Tainted virtue is not a subject yet gracing my pages." Ken made a sound like his lungs were being clamped in a vice. The glow of the space stone began to pulse faster now, reflecting Ken's own physical heart.

"Wait, no!" Strikedramon suddenly snapped, stepping forward. Wormmon's eyes were wide, and he clung to Ken's shoulder desperately when he heard those words. "You can't take him. And... we're here to talk to you about the Holy Capitol, not about our pasts!"

Those blazing eyes were cast upward at the dragon-man. The stone of space did not proceed with its task, but it didn't stop either. Wisemon merely paused, leaving Ken to struggle with his own breath and a searing panic in his chest. "What do you want to know about the Holy Capitol, Ryo Akiyama?"

Strikedramon swallowed again. He wanted to help Ken, but he was finding it to be a struggle to control his own body and breath. Every time that stone pulsed with the threat of stealing Ken away, Strikedramon felt the urge to attack. "We want to know where to find it," he said, keeping his voice as steady as possible.

Wisemon let out another breath, sending a chill through the air. "ElDoradimon is a creature of curious habit."

Strikedramon nodded his head stiffly. "I'm sure he is. Is there any way you can tell us... where he is right now? Or even where he's going to be?"

"He moves with the moons," Wisemon replied. "Not just one, but all three." The red stone of time was presented and within it were the trinity of moons Strikedramon had shown to Ken. "Their cycles move at different paces, but there is such a rare occasion that they sync with each other. During their shared new moon phase, when their faces are hidden, ElDoradimon moves along the Dark Area. During their shared waxing quarter, he travels the seas of Asuka. Upon their combined full moon phase, he wanders the borders of File Island. Finally, during the shared waning quarter, he wades along the beaches of Server. Any other times than these, he lumbers aimlessly in the middle of the ocean in its deepest depths where no soul can hope to find him."

Strikedramon listened intently, tail and claws twitching with the tenseness of his body, but his mind tuned in carefully to everything Wisemon was saying. He'd have to remember this carefully- they wouldn't get a tip like this from just any Digimon. "Alright..." he murmured, nodding his head when he was convinced he remembered. "Alright. Thank you."

Wisemon breathed again, turning his sights back on Ken. "You're sure I can't have him?" he asked as he caressed a pale cheek.

"I'm sure," Strikedramon answered firmly, his hands twitching to lunge out. It took him considerable effort to reign himself back, even as he felt every muscle tensing and his foot attempting to take a step forward.

"Pity," the cloaked Digimon sighed. "Such tainted virtue would have brought great intrigue to my observations. Perhaps I'll collect him someday. He will owe me as much." There was a blinding red flash as the stone of time sparked. 

"Aaaun!" Ken's scream was accompanied by a sickening orchestra of cracking bones. The pins fell to the floor, forced from his hand, and his torso took proper shape as cartilage and marrow were put back into place. Ken's body dropped to the ground like a lead weight just as another gust of wind saw the book slam shut, returning to its original state of silent levitation.

"Ken!" Wormmon's eyes went wide from atop Ken's shoulder, and he jumped when they suddenly hit the ground. Wormmon went rolling off his perch, and quickly flopped back over onto his feet to scurry back to Ken's side. Strikedramon was soon at his side too, still moving in a stiff, tense manner. "Ken, are you alright?" Wormmon warbled, eyes wide and claws hesitantly touching his boy's knee.

Ken was corpse still for many long seconds before his whole body shuddered and he gasped loudly. "Wormmon!" he cried, reaching for his Digimon. "Wormmon, I saw everything! Everything!"

"E-everything?" Wormmon gasped, jumping when Ken suddenly sprang back to life. "Everything what?"

Shaking hands grabbed at the insect, holding him. "I-I saw cells divide. I saw nerves make branches. I saw blood vessels turn from blue to red. I saw a heart beat for the first time! I saw... I saw how I was born. I witnessed my first steps. I heard my first word. I could see inside myself and all around myself! Everything I ever did and ever saw and ever heard and ever felt happened in an instant but lasted for eons... I saw the spore and tasted its poison and watched the corruption unfold from the inside. I saw everything! I saw you! I saw me! Everything!"

Wormmon's eyes were wide as he listened to all of that. Could Ken have really seen all of that? And if he did, did he really see it in just the few moments he'd been passed out on the floor of the dusty room? The bug-like Digimon stared for a couple of seconds before asking the only question he could think to ask, "Why?"

"Wisemon... wanted to know."

"Wanted to know all of that? Then why did you see it, too?" Wormmon questioned.

"I guess because... they're my memories..."

Wormmon looked worried, not sure what to say then. "Can you stand, Ken?" he asked quietly.

Ken was silent for a brief moment before nodding. "Actually, I think I can." The boy rose to his feet slowly. His legs were a little shaky at first, but they strengthened up rather quickly. "Nothing... Nothing hurts anymore."

Wormmon nodded his head. "Good... that's good. You made a pretty bad sound before, so I'm glad nothing hurts." He didn't want to climb back up onto Ken's shoulder, and instead traveled along the floor, making a little trail on the dusty ground as he headed for the door.

"Mmn..." Ken made a small noise and picked Wormmon up off the floor, holding his Digimon to his chest. "You make an adorable Leafmon," he murmured gently.

Wormmon looked surprised when he was lifted off the ground, and blushed at Ken's words. "Th-thank you, Ken," he answered, as if unsure as to how he should. Strikedramon was just watching them, silent and standing stock still.

Ken had started for the door, but he was missing the sound of heavy, clawed footsteps. "Ryo?" he inquired upon turning around. "Ryo, what is it?"

Strikedramon flinched and spoke from between grit-together jaws. "My body wants to tear that book apart," he explained, claws and tail twitching with the agitation of the human inside forcing the dragon-man to stand still. "I'm trying to... calm down..."

"Wisemon helped us," Ken insisted. A cautious hand was raised and placed on Strikedramon's chest. "Don't be upset. It's all right."

Strikedramon's hands made a very sudden movement, first jerking up like he was going to strike, but then rigidly snapping back to his sides. "I know. I know, logically, he did. But this body goes berserk when it feels threatened by a Virus-type, you know that."

Ken frowned. "Did he threaten you? I don't remember that part..."

"I thought he was hurting _you,_" Strikedramon growled. "That sets off the reaction just the same."

"Oh, that..." Ken said softly. Truthfully, he didn't know what that had been. While he wouldn't admit it to the ticking time bomb of a Digimon, the whole ordeal with Wisemon had been excruciating; however, the experience was also unlike anything he'd ever gone through before. "Just... It's over now."

"I know. I know it is," Strikedramon sighed. "But this body is still... tense. I'm surprised I managed to control it at all, actually." He turned his head towards Ken, swallowing dryly. "Maybe you should put me outside or something while I try and cool down."

The boy smirked. "Why don't I just whack you on the nose with a rolled up newspaper while I'm at it? C'mon." Ken laced one arm in with Strikedramon's before leading him out. Strikedramon made a small noise that showed that he was unsure, but he nodded his head and rigidly followed Ken, claws scraping the dusty floor, his feet wanting to grab onto something that wasn't there. Persiamon was nowhere to be seen. No doubt she had retired to another one of her naps, or maybe she'd gone to bed all together. Either way, Ken found his way to the entrance foyer and then took Strikedramon outside, letting him go once they were in the grass. "Okay, now go climb trees or dig a giant hole or whatever it is you need to do to chill out." Strikedramon's tail twitched. Normally the Ryo part of his mind might have had an interesting comeback to that, but the dragon-man said nothing. He lifted his head, sniffing, having apparently caught a scent of something, and took off across the open field that stretched out in front of the palace.

"I hate him like this, Wormmon," Ken said with a heavy sigh.

Wormmon came out of the door behind Ken, nodding his head gently. "It isn't when he's at his best, is it..." he murmured. Strikedramon was running around on all fours, obviously just trying to burn off energy- the same energy he'd just spent time sleeping to obtain. "I worry about what will happen when he becomes Cyberdramon."

"I hate him as a Digimon, period. It's not who he's supposed to be. Can you suddenly imagine being a human, Wormmon? You wouldn't feel right, would you?"

Wormmon tapped his claws together as he thought. "Well... I don't know," he admitted quietly. "I'd like to always be tall and on two feet and able to do a lot of things I can't do in this form... But on the other hand, I'd miss being able to fly, and, well, being me." His antenna twitched and he looked back out at Strikedramon, who had taken to climbing a particularly tall and thick tree. "I think the difference is that even as a human, I would still probably act like me. But as Strikedramon, Ryo acts differently."

Ken sighed again, plopping down on the steps. "I know it's ten times harder for him, but it honestly does wear me out."

Wormmon nodded his head. "Yeah... I just hope... that this experience doesn't adversely effect him. You know, once he gets out of that body."

"That would be too cruel," Ken said while shaking his head. "Sure he's the hero, but that doesn't mean he always has to get the shit end of the stick."

"I don't think the world works like that," Wormmon sighed. "Things could just... keep going wrong. They have for him for eight years."

"Then he deserves to finally have something good happen!" Ken demanded with a stomp of his foot. "Ryo's earned it! You can't tell me he hasn't!"

"I'm not saying he hasn't!" Wormmon gasped, looking a little surprised when Ken suddenly shot up. But he really shouldn't have been surprised by now. He should have known that talking about this would set his boy off. Strikedramon had since made it to the top of the tree, the branches shaking as he paced about, deciding what to do now that he was up there. "Let's just... hope for the best."

Ken's head came to rest in his hands as he watched the dragon-man off in the tree. "Sometimes I think I should have listened to you, Wormmon. I don't listen to you enough. I really don't."

"Listened to me when I said what?" Wormmon asked, as Strikedramon dropped down from the tree, landing on all fours and taking off into a sprint again once he hit the ground.

"When I was on that unhealthy search for Ryo in the first place," Ken replied. "I should have just turned off the computer and gone to bed like you told me to. I bet a lot of this wouldn't even have happened."

"But... but then you wouldn't have found Ryo," Wormmon pointed out, antenna drooping a little. "And he would have spent the rest of his life here. If things go well... he'll get to go back to his own dimension and see his family. Thanks to you, Ken."

The boy nodded. "I know. I just... can't help think he might also still be a human, living peacefully in his snowy cottage. While there are benefits, I can't help thinking a still messed things up a little."

Wormmon nodded his head. "I guess... it all depends on what future Ryo would have preferred." When the little Digimon said that, Strikedramon finally started to trudge his way back over to them. No longer running on four feet, but walking on two, slightly out of breath, but finally looking as if he'd relieved the tension on his body.

"I just hope it's the future he says he wants with me. Of course, he could just be saying that. I don't know..." Ken stood when Strikedramon finally came back. "Feel better?"

Strikedramon nodded his head, taking back in a deep breath. "Much better," he said, tail waving. "When Cyberdramon was still out of control after a fight and there were no more enemies around to take out, we'd go for long runs and climb trees and stuff. I figured that'd work just the same when he's Strikedramon, and it did."

Ken nodded in return. "Good, and now that you've hopefully worn yourself out, we should get some sleep. We'll leave first thing in the morning."

Strikedramon didn't look too happy with the idea of going back to sleep yet again, but he could feel the exhaustion starting to weigh on his limbs, though he felt like he hadn't done much that day. "Alright," he said, conceding with a weak nod.

"C'mon, Ryo, it's just sleep," Ken said with a sigh and rubbed his forehead. "You know you'll be better for it in the morning." With that he turned and went back inside, heading up the stairs while hoping he could remember which room was theirs.


	27. The Digimon Queen

Strikedramon rose with the sun the next morning. He'd had plenty of sleep and wasted no time in waking for the next day. Wormmon and Ken were still in deep sleep, however, so the dragon-man decided to pick them up and carry them out of the palace. He figured they would gain a few hours if he just got moving. Ken woke up when Strikedramon insisted on giving him a little jostle. He snorted as his head jerked up and eyes opened wide. "I'm up! I'm up... What did who?" Ken had yet to register the park just a few yards away from them where kids were roaming with their lined up Digimon.

"We're back in Asuka City," Strikedramon explained, as a little shrug slowly woke up the littler Digimon perched on his shoulder. "Sleep well?" the dragon-man asked, looking down at the boy sleepily trying to register what had happened.

"Other than some really weird dreams, I slept well enough," Ken answered with a nod and rubbed his eyes. "Guess a card game or two is in order so I can feed us."

Strikedramon nodded his head. "Looks like it. We're totally cleaned out after that last inn visit." The dragon-man slowly placed the boy down, not letting him go until he was sure Ken was steady on his feet. "We can head to the cruiser, there should be a few newbies hanging around you can play."

Ken held onto Strikedramon's arm for a minute. He didn't say anything or look at the Digimon. He just stood there holding on. Then without a word Ken let go and walked forward. "Wormmon, you walk between us so you don't get lost, okay?"

Wormmon nodded his head. "Alright, Ken." He jumped down between them as Ken started to walk, following at his heels. He hesitated when he realized that Strikedramon wasn't following, but the dragon-man began to walk after them after a moment and so Wormmon picked up his pace again.

As they walked the streets, Ken couldn't help noticing how there weren't as many kids around. There were still plenty of players, but the numbers were definitely smaller. He supposed people were being cautious. A few kids would stop, recognizing him from the battle with Cyclonemon, and would pat his shoulder or shake his hand, congratulating him or thanking him. Ken would just smile and nod at them before continuing on his way. Eventually he found the Yellow Cruiser and went inside. Honestly, Ken should have known Atsushi would be there, but he was still surprised to see that yellow vest and blue hat. "Oh..." he hissed, feeling his chest turn sour. Ken turned, hoping to get out before the other boy noticed him.

"Ken!" The boy's realization came too late, as Atsushi had already stood up when he noticed the boy enter the cruiser. Strikedramon's throat went dry as well, and he too tried to back out of the trailer, even though they'd already been caught.

Ken put on a smile. "Hi, Atsu-" He was cut off by a strong hug, one that lasted too long for his comfort with arms that held a bit too tightly. "Nn..."

Atsushi pulled back, smiling a little, patting Ken on the shoulder. He was uncomfortably close, but he didn't seem to register it, even after the note Ken had left on before. "Hey," he said, smiling widely. "You've gotta meet the Digimon Queen."

Indigo eyes widened slightly. "What? N-No, that's all right. We didn't come to stay for very long. We should actually get going. Um..."

"Get going? No, no, you've gotta meet her!" He took Ken by the hand and practically dragged him into the cruiser. A crowd of kids immedietely formed around them, preventing Ken's escape, Strikedramon and Wormmon still near the door, unsure of what best to do. Atsushi pulled Ken towards the table he had been sitting at, motioning towards the girl who had been sitting across from him, her back to them now.

"You know running away before you're about to get crushed isn't very attractive," the girl said to Atsushi, knowing it was him coming back up behind her. Ken just swallowed. He didn't want to meet her. He never wanted to meet her. The very stoic, unhappy looking yellow and white fox standing there with its arms crossed wasn't helping things either. "I don't even need to modify my Gallantmon's Royal Saber to finish you off."

"I wasn't running," Atsushi scoffed. "There was someone I wanted you to meet." The Digimon who were overseeing the match all looked over. Atsushi's team of three waved in excitement, but the fox just stared sternly. She was a bit taller than any of the humans, but not quite at Strikedramon's height. Still, quite intimidating in height for a Rookie. "This is Ken Ichijouji. He's the one who helped out the city a little while ago when it was attacked by Cyclonemon. And Ken..." He gestured to the girl's immaculately pulled back ponytail of orange and blonde streaks. "This is Ruki... or Rika Nonaka, the Digimon Queen."

She has pale violet eyes and it makes him sick. Ken can't help wondering how many times Ryo looked into his own indigo eyes and thought of her. A very light tan complements her auburn hair. A dark blue baby-tee with a wilting white lily is a perfect reflection of her personality, at least from the stories he's heard. Her chest is humble, but Ken isn't sure whether he should take comfort in that or not. Her jeans are tight with a light chain attached to the snap box she keeps her cards in. She's also wearing a round studded belt and a wrist band with a skull on it. "This is the local hero?" Rika said, looking the boy up and down. "I kind of expected someone more... more."

"More what?" Atsushi asked, raising a brow. "I think he looks fine for a hero." The boy patted Ken on the back, grabbing onto his shoulder in an odd way. Strikedramon and Wormmon were attempting to shoulder their way through the crowd, and the girl's Digimon looked over, her black eyes widening a little as Strikedramon easily pushed his way through the kids. Her tail flicked, but she chose not to say anything yet.

Rika shrugged. "I guess so. Anyway, are we going to get back to our game or what? You don't have to be sitting in the chair for me to finish you, but I'd like to extend the courtesy." Ken frowned at her attitude. She really was rather crass, as Ryo had described her. He also wished he could shake Atsushi's hand from his shoulder, but there wasn't much room to move away. Rika was watching them when her eyebrows went up just slightly. "Oh, I get it. He's your boyfriend."

That accusation seemed to shake Atsushi's resolve a little. He removed his hand from Ken's shoulder, retracting it back hesitantly. "Oh, uh. No... no, that's not it," he said, a little defeatedly. Strikedramon and Wormmon appeared behind Ken as Atsushi walked away to the other side of the table, taking his seat again to finish the card game, though he stared at his hands instead of the cards. His Digimon looked concerned, as that one comment seemed to crumble their tamer.

Rika was about to play out her final blow, but then she saw the large dragon-man. She'd know him anywhere. Her eyes widened only by a fraction, but she stared at Strikedramon for quite some time. Finally, she turned her attention back to the game. Rika placed a finger on her Gallantmon card to indicate her attack, its strongest attack enough to take out Atsushi's third Digimon in play. "Good thing we weren't playing for money," she said, gathering up her cards. Ken shook his head and took a step, meaning to leave, but her voice stopped him. "You're not going anywhere. We have a lot to talk about. Atsushi, you're treating us to lunch."

"Me?" Atsushi gaped, at first wanting to argue. But he looked over at Ken, his mouth going dry, and he put his cards in his back pocket. "Yeah, alright." The crowd of kids parted to let them through, the Digimon following after their human partners. Strikedramon knew he'd been spotted, and knew that the both of them recognized him. It was only a matter of time before this took a major turn for the awkward.

"...so that's why we're here," Ken said, having finished the terribly long story of the war so far. He'd conveniently left out the part about Ryo turning into a Digimon. Atsushi didn't need to know about that, and Ken could tell Rika already knew. There were all seated in a rounded booth for such large parties. Ken chose an order of chicken fingers, though he'd barely touched them.

Rika was sipping on a banana milkshake heavy with hot fudge. She'd hardly said a word or made a single change in her facial expression the whole time. Once the tale was over, she seemed to think for a moment before looking at her Digimon. "You never told me anything about a war, Renamon."

Renamon, with her arms still crossed, looked down at her tamer. "I didn't know about it. I haven't visited the Digital World recently." She used to go almost daily, but recent circumstances had kept her in the real world alongside her tamer. Strikedramon's face had been just as non-expressive and his mouth just as silent as Rika's. Wormmon was sitting next to him and looked quite awkward. "If I had known about it, I would have informed you."

Rika nodded. "I believe you. We should make a point to come here more often. Those goggle-heads and I didn't go through all that trouble to save the Digital World just for it to fall apart again." Another long sip of her milkshake provided a silent pause. "Renamon, obviously you and I are staying."

Ken made a strange noise and shook his head. "You really don't have to do that. My Digimon and I have it under control."

"It's not an option, violet," Rika replied dryly. "One kid taking on a pair of Mega Digimon is suicide. Renamon and I can Biomerge, you can't."

Renamon sharply nodded her head to back up her tamer's statement. "You'll need our help." She spoke with a very gentle and quiet voice, but her tone was always firm and her statements quite curt.

"We've done fine up until now," Ken insisted. "I have two Digimon anyway. I got my tag so Wormmon can evolve even further now. Plus, I plan to evolve my Strikedramon into Cyberdramon soon."

Rika shook her head. "That's just another reason you need me. No way you can handle Cyberdramon alone."

Ken whined softly again before turning to the other boy. "Atsuhi, tell her about how we took down that Cyclonemon. You think we can handle this, right?"

Atsushi looked torn, and leaned forward on the table after giving a brief glance to his Digimon, who could only offer him a shrug. "You did do a great job," he said. "And if you plan to evolve your Digimon further, they should be able to take on threats of the same level."

"Plans are all well and good," Renamon murmured. "But if you can't deliver, things could get ugly. Fast."

"Why are you so sure I'll fail?" Ken asked bitterly with an offended scowl. "I'm a Chosen Child. We don't lose. I've faced worse than this and come out on the other side. These generals are nothing."

Rika took the last sip from her shake before speaking. "Quibble all you want, but this is happening. Our parities will combine efforts starting tomorrow morning. There's more going on here that I can't just ignore and let slip by," she said, casting a glance at Strikedramon.

Strikedramon's head turned, obviously not sure what to do now. Nor what to say. "All of us are meant to work in teams," Renamon said firmly. "Whether you want to call yourself chosen child or tamer, we work in teams. So in a team we shall work. Regardless of if you like it or not." The fox-like Digimon was actually quite proud of her tamer for wanting cooperation so adamantly, and she was not about to let the chance slip through their hands.

Ken opened his mouth to argue again, but the words died in the air. He knew Rika wouldn't budge. Ryo had described her all too well in his stories, so Ken knew she wasn't the sort to budge on a decision. So with a defeated sigh, he nodded. "Good," Rika said and glanced at her Digivice. "It's still a bit early, but we should turn in now so we can get an even earlier start in the morning. Atushi, put us up in the lodge, that'll make up for your losses."

Atsushi let out a sigh, but nodded his head at well. "Alright." He waved for the waitress to come over so he could pay for the meal, too. "Hey... do you guys need any help?" he asked, once she had given him a signal and rushed off to get the check. "I have three Digimon that can all Digivolve pretty far." He adjusted his goggles, grinning a little. "I think I could be of some help."

Rika crossed her arms and leaned back, looking Atushi up and down. "I guess so. On a trial run basis. Where is it we're going?" she asked, now looking at Ken.

"Gale Tower..." he replied glumly. This was suddenly not going his way in every way possible.

"Can you make it to Gale Tower?" Rika asked of the boy in the yellow vest.

"In my sleep," Atsushi snorted. "I can go anywhere so long as we don't need to leave the continent. If you guys do need to leave... Well, we'll help you out until then. Right guys?" He looked at his Digimon then, and Monmon and Bearmon both enthusiastically shouted their support and pumped their fists, the former raising his slingshot. Kotemon calmly nodded his head.

"Too bad," she said a bit carelessly with a shrug to top it off. "You can get us those lodgings at least. Someplace cheap if you want."

Atsushi rolled his eyes and grabbed the check when the waitress came around, paying for it before standing and waving for them to follow him. He brought them back to the inn where Ken had stayed the last time, and the Gatomon at the counter seemed to recognize him and waved. When she saw Atsushi and Rika enter in behind him, she bowed her head. "Good evening."

"Evening," Rika said with a nod of her own. "We need two rooms. They're with me," she said, gesturing to Renamon, Strikedramon, and Wormmon, only to fill the room. "Those three are with him," she said, pointing to Atsushi and his Digimon. "And he's a guest that will be staying with them," she finished while pointing at Ken.

"Alright," Gatomon said, opening up the book on the counter and looking through her rooms. She hooked two keys off the board with her tail and motioned for them to follow her after a few moments of searching, heading up the stairs towards the rooms.

Meanwhile, Ken was looking frantically between Rika and Atsushi. "B-But, my Digimon! I should be with them!"

"I'm not sharing a room with a boy," Rika said firmly, following after the Gatomon. "It's in poor taste. My grandmother taught me that, and she's right. I'm not going to waste two beds either."

"Just let it go," Atsushi said quietly, walking beside Ken with a small frown. "When she makes a decision, you can't change her mind."

Gatomon showed them to two rooms, putting one key in Rika's hands and the other in Atsushi's. "This one has a cot," she explained, opening the door for Atsushi and the guests designated for his room. She then looked between the three humans, expecting one of them to pay her. Atsushi reached into his pocket and produced the proper amount of BITs. "Thank you. Have a good rest," Gatomon said, bowing her head before heading back towards the front desk.

"Yeah, night," Rika said before leading her party into her room and closing the door.

Ken gave a nervous sigh knowing he had no choice now. He followed Atsushi into their room and sat on the cot, looking awkward and shy. Ken didn't know Atsushi very well. The other boy had been bold enough to put the moves on him once, would he be so bold as to try it again?

Rika removed her wristband and the chain with her card box, setting them on a small nightstand. "So," she began and turned to face the dragon-man, "What kind of mess did you get into this time?"

"Hey, you don't have to do that," Atsushi said, motioning towards the trio of towered beds. "I'll take the cot. You can use one of the beds. I'm just gonna log out when I fall asleep, so it doesn't matter for me."

Strikedramon set Wormmon up on one of the beds and then turned to face Rika and Renamon with an unreadable expression on his face. But the sheepish way he scratched at the back of his neck was clear. "Picked a fight with Omnimon and got stuck inside of Hopmon's body," he explained quickly.

Violet eyes blinked before a tiny crease appeared in her nose. "That was really stupid of you. I mean, the fact that you actually did something like that must mean the idiocy of it all escaped you, so I just want to let you know now. That was stupid."

Ken looked up at the other boy with a slightly confused expression. "What will your Digimon do when you leave?"

"They'll sleep too," Atsushi said with a shrug. "Usually I put them away in here," he said, pointing to the rotating, floating thing glowing near his head. "But I think they deserve a night on beds, especially since I paid for the room."

"Slumber party!" Bearmon declared, grabbing up a pillow in excitement. "Someone fight me!"

"I know it was," Strikedramon snorted, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms. "But I had to do something. File City was under attack."

"Cyberdramon always rushed into everything, and when you join with him, you do the exact same thing," Rika told him. "Haven't you ever heard of distract and disregard? You're the Digimon King, Roy. Strategize a bit more."

Ken observed the strange floating app. "Do they like it in there?"

Strikedramon shrugged his shoulders casually. "There's no use lecturing me about it. What's done is done now."

"Guys?" Atsushi asked.

"It's okay," Monmon said in the middle of his intense pillow grapple with Bearmon. "Not as comfortable as beds, but it's warm and dry."

"Your Digimon don't stay in your Digivice?" Atsushi asked. "Guess you don't have one of the newer ones like some of the people that pass through here."

Ken blinked. "No, my... my Digimon come home with me," he admitted.

Rika nodded. "So what's with the kid?" she asked, letting her hair down so she could sleep in a little while.

"Well, yeah, but there are some people that pass through with these really new looking Digivices. They can put their Digimon inside and then take them into the real world." Atsushi grinned, looking dreamy-eyed when he talked about it. "What I wouldn't give to be able to do that."

"His name's Ken. I grew up with him in my home dimension," Strikedramon explained. "Wormmon there is his partner," he said, pointing towards the green Digimon, who had since passed out in his bed.

"He's talked about this kid before," Renamon pointed out to her tamer from where she sat on one of the higher beds, legs crossed lotus style.

Rika thought for a moment. "Oh right, the Millenniummon kid." Her flower colored eyes looked towards the wall that divided their rooms. "Can we trust him being infected as he is?"

Ken flinched, feeling her judgemental gaze through the wall. "They're talking about me... I just know it..."

"Don't worry about it," Atsushi said, motioning again for Ken to get off the cot. "You can't stop them, so let them talk."

"He's been taking care of me this whole time," Strikedramon said, also turning his hidden gaze on the wall. "We've hit a few snags, but I'd like to keep working with him."

"Taking care of you?" Rika echoed in a softer tone, her face one of mild surprise. "That's certainly new. You don't really let people take care of you," she said, her words hinting a moments deeper between them.

Ken stood up and walked over to stand beside the other boy. "Do you ever feel lonely even when you're surrounded by people, Atsushi?"

Strikedramon looked at her, noting that slight change in tone loud and clear. "It's a give and take sort of thing," he murmured. "I was taking care of him and helping him learn more about the Digital World and then... this... happened..." He looked down, brushing his large hands down his pants. "And, well, suddenly I needed his help, too. Though when I'm like this, I'm still pretty useful in a fight," he said with a weak laugh.

"Lonely when surrounded by people?" Atsushi asked, humming gently. "I guess. We can all feel like that sometimes. Especially when you're living with digital beings." He shrugged his shoulders, leaning back on the bedpost. "I mean, my Digimon are great. My best friends, even. But being with digital people and being with real people... it can feel very different."

Ken's eyes dropped downward. "I don't know what it's like to be with a digital person. Of course I met you, but... I haven't been with you very much. I guess it's like that, but I still feel like... what I'm talking about is different."

"I could have helped you, Ryo. I still don't understand why you didn't let me," Rika said, watching him very closely. "If the severity of a situation is what forces you to rely on another person, I still think what happened back then dominates what's going on right now."

Atsushi listened carefully, but soon frowned and shook his head. "Guess I don't understand, then."

"There's a lot more to it that you don't understand, Rika," Strikedramon answered quietly.

"We could have gone to Hypnos," the girl said. "Your arm wasn't that bad yet. You didn't have to just run away like that."

"I'm sorry," Ken whispered. "I shouldn't be putting any of this on you. It's not fair of me. I just... since this journey started, I feel like I'm getting more and more lost rather than getting closer to finding what I want."

"What could Hypnos have done?" Strikedramon murmured, instinctively going to clutch his arm. "They wouldn't know what to do."

"It's okay," Atsushi said, shaking his head. "Just... get some sleep. We've got a big trek to start tomorrow."

"As closely as they had been studying the Digital World, I'm sure they could have offered a solution. Even a temporary one while they ran tests. Would giving them a chance have been so hard? You don't know what kinds of things they could have some up with. They had ways of deporting digital creatures, well... maybe they could have reversed the program to stabilize digital beings. Stabilize _you_."

Strikedramon clutched his arm, resisting the urge to dig his claws into it. "I just got scared," he said in a low voice, swallowing dryly.

Rika continued to watch him with her critical gaze. "You know I'd never admit it, but you hurt me by running away. It doesn't feel good to know the person you love doesn't trust you."

Strikedramon laughed weakly. "You just admitted it," he pointed out as his only answer.

"It's not funny!" she said, sweeping her arm out stiffly. "You probably know better than anyone how unlikely I am to open my heart to people, so when I opened it to you, that was a big deal. That was the first personal risk I ever took. I told you that. Then you just ran away. You didn't say anything!" Rika didn't shed tears like Ken might have in this situation. She was just angry and looking for answers now. "Not a word. No letter, even. You were just gone one day. It hurt."

Strikedramon flinched a little. "I know, I know it's not funny," he said in an apologetic manner. He pushed himself off the wall and slowly walked over towards the girl. Large hands came to grip her small shoulders. He moved stiffly and paused before he could come up with a word to say. "I think I'm obligated to a moment of weakness and stupidity," he murmured.

Rika turned her eyes away from him. "Yeah, well, that was the wrong moment to choose."

Strikedramon nodded his head meekly. "I'm sorry," he offered.

"Fine." She rolled her shoulders to dislodge his hands. Rika then turned away completely before laying down on the bottom bed and closing her eyes. Even if she wasn't necessarily going to sleep, clearly the girl was done speaking. Strikedramon sighed gently when she moved away from him. He knew that move. It meant there wasn't much more he could say. He leapt up onto one of the higher beds, curling up on the mattress to try and get some sleep. He'd need it for tomorrow.

Ken came knocking on Rika's door fairly early the next morning. It was a bit of a wonder he was up on his own, seeing as how many times the boy had to be woken up by someone else on the journey so far. However, back in the real world, Ken was a early morning riser by nature. Rika opened the door a crack, her hair looking a bit tangled as she frowned. "What do you want?"

"I want my Digimon," Ken said, tone rather strict and demanding for him.

Her frown deepened. "He's not your Digimon, he's-"

"Wormmon!" Ken called into the room, making Rika stop and realize. "Wormmon, time for breakfast!"

Wormmon rose from his spot curled up in the sheets. It wasn't a wonder the girl had forgotten about him, tucked away as he was. "Coming!" he called back, crawling down the bedpost and coming over to the doorway. "Excuse me," he warbled to Rika as he dodged around her feet. In the room, Strikedramon was sprawled out on his bed, feet and hands hanging off as he was obviously too big for it and snoring. Renamon was still asleep, still sitting upright in the lotus position, as well.

Ken promptly picked up his Digimon and said a quick, "Thanks," before turning to go downstairs. "Did you sleep well?" the boy asked his Digimon.

"Just fine, Ken," Wormmon said, nodding his head. "Are Atsushi and the others awake yet?"

"Atsushi hasn't logged back in yet, so his Digimon are still snoozing. Monmon and Bearmon were up pretty late with a pillow fight, so they wore each other out." At the bottom of the steps, Ken turned off into the dining room where a table was already set up for them. "I got all your favorites," the boy said with a smile. There was one bowl filled with banana slices while another has strawberries coated with sugar. A small plate had a blueberry muffin on it with a little cup of syrup for dipping. Then there was the small glass of orange juice with a straw since he couldn't hold it with his claws.

Wormmon's eyes widened a little when he saw the spread. "Oh... oh Ken, wasn't this expensive?" he asked, looking up at the boy and tapping his claws together meekly. "S-surely you shouldn't be spending the BITs you have left on me like this."

Ken shook his head. "I went out early and played some people. You know, kids getting a game in before school and the ones taking a sick day. I actually earned a nice bundle. Besides, I wanted to do something nice for you. I feel like I've been neglecting you lately, Wormmon, so breakfast will be just you and me this morning. They're making my pancakes right now and should be out soon."

Wormmon's eyes widened even more and an expression sort of like a smile came over his face. "Oh, Ken..." He looked truely touched, and nodded his head earnestly. "That sounds nice."

"Anything for you, Wormmon," the boy said with a smile and pressed their foreheads together gently. "You're my Digimon and I love you." Ken sat down with Wormmon at the table, setting the insect in front of the fruit spread. "It's been pretty exciting so far, hasn't it?"

Wormmon began to nibble on the fruit, nodding his head a little. "It's certainly been... something," he commented, only sort of agreeing. "An adventure," he amended, before picking up another piece of fruit.

"I don't feel like it's been as exciting as our adventure with the other kids, but this one has been more... enlightening. I've learned much more about the Digital World than I thought I would. More than I thought there was to know, in fact. I never imagined the Digital World extended so far beyond File Island. Did you?"

Wormmon smiled a little. "Well, I knew about Server, but not much farther than that," he said. "It really is amazing how much there is out here."

Ken smiled as well and started to pet down Wormmon's back. "I find it interesting that Digimon don't know everything about their own world and each other," he said. "I know you're more than a strictly digital being, but I always thought knowledge of your home world would have been programmed into you. Does that make sense or am I thinking too outside the box again?"

Wormmon laughed a little. "Maybe the original Digimon had programmed-in knowledge, but a baby Digimon knows just as little about the world as a baby human does when it hatches. I only know the place where I grew up, just like anyone else."

Ken smiled more fondly now. "Do you remember being born, Wormmon?"

Wormmon nodded his head. "Yeah. Both times."

"What was it like?" he asked and nodded when his food came out, a short stack and chocolate milk.

Wormmon shrugged. "I mean... it was really black, and then I realized that it was and wanted to get out. So I started to go at the shell until it cracked open. I don't... remember anything before that moment."

Ken spread some butter and syrup on his pancakes before cutting into them. "Did you expect me to be there?"

"The first time, something told me I was looking for someone," Wormmon murmured. "The second time... I sensed you nearby. So yeah."

The boy paused in his eating to look at his Digimon with tender regret in his eyes. "That second time... was kind of rough, huh?"

"It was... but I was glad to have you back, Ken." Wormmon's eyes reflected happiness rather than hurt. "I could tell by the expression on your face that you were back. That's an amazing thing to see when you're first born."

"You were so cute," Ken laughed gently and tapped Wormmon's pincers. "That little pacifier was to die for. And those bubbles you blew!"

Wormmon blushed, putting his claws up to his face. "Well, well, I mean... I-I was a baby, after all!"

The boy laughed even more. "Why are you so embarrassed, Wormmon? I loved you as a baby. So adorable!"

"N-nothing," Wormmon said, waving his claws. "I'm not embarrassed!"

"That blush on your cheeks says otherwise," Ken teased and gave them a poke. "You've seen baby photos of me, too. Remember that one of me taking a bath in the sink? I'm sucking on that sponge. I think that makes us even."

"Pictures are different!" Wormmon insisted. The easily flustered Digimon, who had such a mature attitude, even in his younger forms, was actually a bit embarrassed by having been re-raised by his partner. Bottle-fed, put to sleep early, held and rocked... Blush darkened and he hastily went back to eating his fruit.

Ken's laughter softened and he stroked between Wormmon's antenna. "I know it probably wasn't your favorite time to be with me, but it was really good for me. Raising you the way I did... it taught me how tender Digimon can be, and how careful I needed to be with them. It was a lesson I needed to learn, and you were the best teacher for me, Wormmon."

"Well... well, I'm glad," Wormmon said quietly between two pieces of fruit, a smile echoing in his voice.

The boy ate a few bites of his pancakes before speaking up again. "I also want to thank you for being with me after that whole thing with Davis happened. I know I wasn't any fun being as mopey as I was, but it meant a lot to have you stick by me."

"Of course I stuck by you," Wormmon said, "I'm your partner, Ken. You don't need to thank me. I'll be with you through thick and thin."

Ken just smiled and nodded. The boy and his Digimon ate quietly together, having little conversations in between bites. It was really nice and Ken wished he'd given Wormmon more attention all along. The tranquility was broken, however, when Rika showed up with her Renamon and Strikedramon close behind. "You didn't even wait for us before eating?" she asked, having not quite believed Ken was going to feed his Digimon so early.

Ken looked up at her and sucked on his straw. "This was a private party," he said dryly.

Rika frowned again, putting that little crease in her nose. "Do you want to say something to me, violet?"

"Rika," Renamon said, putting her hand up. "We've lost nothing by them dining before us." It was only a few moments later that Atsushi, Bearmon, Kotemon, and Monmon appeared at the top of the stairs and rushed down, all of them, sans the silent Kotemon of course, letting out groans.

"Did we miss breakfast?" the three noisier ones asked.

Ken shook his head. "No, I had brought Wormmon down with me earlier so we could have some time alone together. You all are still free to eat."

"Alright!" the three cheered, Atsushi digging into his pocket to produce some BITs to get his Digimon a meal. He began counting what he had before he cast an expectant glance over at Rika. "You want me to buy you breakfast, too?"

"No," she said, turning her head up proudly. "If violet wants to be so exclusive, then we'll let him. My Digimon and I will eat on our own. Come on," she said, gesturing to the fox and the dragon man to follow her to another table.

Ken watched her go and made a face behind her back. "What a shrew," he hissed under his breath.

"She's not that bad," Atsushi said as he came to sit down, sending Bearmon off with the proper amount of BITs and an order. "I mean... you meet a lot of people here who act like jerks just because they're only digital avatars. She may be mean, but at least she's not a scammer or obnoxious."

"Yeah, but that's not her avatar personality. That's what she's really like," Ken argued. Again he took to rubbing Wormmon's head, but this time it was to calm himself down. Indigo eyes watched how Strikedramon followed her every command, following her, sitting next to her, sleeping in her room. "She's going to take him from me. It's why I was trying to avoid her in the first place."

"Do you think that's what's going on?" Atsushi murmured, leaning back on his chair to watch. "I can see why. He's an impressive Digimon. But she won't be able to, at least, not officially." Boy still spoke with a lot of ignorance about the situation, but he couldn't be blamed. No one clued him in.

"Strikedramon isn't a Digimon, Atsushi. I mean... he is, but he's not. Not this one. He's a person. My friend."

"A person?" Atsushi gasped, looking over at Strikedramon again, speaking in hushed tones. "You... you serious?"

"I am," he replied, nodding slowly. "You know him... as the Digimon King."

Atsushi's jaw dropped and he again quickly turned his eyes to look at the Digimon. "You're kidding!"

This time Ken shook his head. "I'm not. I've been with him for months now. There was an accident and Ryo failed to come out of his biomerge with Cyberdramon. I've been raising him from a Hopmon ever since. I know what Ryo and Rika used to be, and now that she's back in the picture, I'm going to lose him to her."

"I see..." Atsushi said, drumming his fingers on the table. He looked from Ken to Strikedramon and back again. "Don't you trust him?"

"It's her I don't trust," he murmured with a frown. "Girls take boys away from you. One minute you think you have a boy that likes you as much as you like him, but then a girl comes along and ruins all of it. She snatches him up right out from under your nose. She'll take him. Just like before."

"I think you should put more faith in him," Atsushi said quietly. Just then, his food arrived, and he and his Digimon became engulfed in the meal.

Ken sighed heavily. "You just don't understand." Ken picked Wormmon up, seeing that his Digimon was done eating, and the pair went outside. He'd find something to occupy their time with until they all departed. He didn't even care that a line of Digimon was the norm here and that carrying Wormmon would be strange. Ken didn't really care anymore. He wasn't a player of the game, plain and simple.

"Our objective should be to reach Gale Tower before the end of the day," Rika said. Her own breakfast was a quaint glass of juice and a bagel. "You and that kid have been taking way too long getting through these officers," she said to Strikedramon. "We're kicking it into gear now."

"I could probably reach there by the end of the day, but I don't know about you guys," Strikedramon commented. "It'll take a really fast pace to get there so quickly. You guys would all have to Digivolve your Digimon and ride them, and I doubt you want to waste the energy just for travel. A more leisurely pace will mean we're not exhausted by the time we get there."

"Don't underestimate Renamon," the girl said, flashing a glare at the dragon man. "She was incredibly fast to begin with, but diligent training has made her even more so. The only one who would slow us down is that Ken kid. Personally, I think it should just be you and me from here on out, Ryo. We've worked together before. We have an unspoken system of understanding and comprehension between us. We don't need an outsider throwing us off balance."

"He's not an outsider," Strikedramon sighed. "I told you, he's a childhood friend. And even if he's not privy to how we used to work, he's still a chosen child. He can contribute a lot. Same with Atsushi." Throughout this, Renamon was just silently sipping a cup of tea, held expertly in her paws.

"How far can his Digimon evolve?"

Strikedramon was quiet for a minute. "Champion," he admitted. "But he also has a wide variety of armor forms that are useful in different situations, and he got his tag, which should allow him to reach Ultimate soon."

"But he hasn't yet?"

"...Not yet," Strikedramon said. "The Armor forms really are useful, though. And," he said, quickly getting to another topic, "Atsushi's Digimon can Digivolve pretty far too, last I remember. Considering he's saved this place once before."

"Useless," she concluded. "Atsushi isn't coming with us and neither is Ken. If you're going to eat, hurry up and eat. We're leaving in ten."

"I say we're taking them," Strikedramon said firmly, steel-tipped tail smacking the floor a bit harder than he intended, making the table jump and a few of the glasses clatter. Renamon seemed completely unphased and just sipped her tea again. "I'm not leaving Ken behind. I promised I'd get him home and he's the one that wanted to start this war effort in the first place."

Rika huffed slightly. "Then get him home later. We'll come back by here and pick him up after we've ended the war. He and Atsushi can work on their relationship together while we're gone. It looks like they need it."

Strikedramon quirked a brow at that. "How do you mean?"

Her violet eyes stared at him in blunt disbelief. "You honestly don't see it?"

"Uh... no?" Strikedramon said, shaking his head.

She sighed. "You're so bad at relationships... Atsushi has had baby doll eyes for Ken ever since you two got here. Not to mention the way he talked about Ken when I got here. On and on he went about this fabulous guy who saved the city with clean skin and cute hair. Or something like that. I stopped paying attention. Atsushi is always touching him too. Hanging on his shoulders or his arm. Ken's just too shy to reciprocate any of it, but some time alone would fix that."

Strikedramon stared for a moment before he started to laugh. A small chuckle that turned into uproarious laughter. "Ahahaha... I don't think so," he said, shaking his head and smiling once he'd finally calmed down. "Ken rejected him flat out last time we were here."

"People's feelings change," Rika said. "You'd know all about that."

Strikedramon worried on his lip for a moment, before quickly standing. "It doesn't matter, anyway. We're not leaving them behind."

"Fine." Rika followed his move and stood as well. A silent instruction for her Digimon to do the same. "Atsushi, we're going."

Renamon stood, and from the other table over, Atsushi and his Digimon looked up with food still in their mouths. "Right now?" Atsushi whined through a mouthful of pancake.

"If you want to come with us, then yeah. Otherwise you can stay here. Either way I don't care," she said, walking past their table and towards the door.

Atsushi let out a groan before quickly motioning for his Digimon to follow. They all got up, abandoning their meals, except for Monmon, who snatched a banana from the table before rushing off after the group.

Outside, Ken was kneeling down in front of Wormmon. His tag and crest were in hand, and they were talking quietly to each other. No doubt about Wormmon being able to evolve. Ken heard them come out so he looked up, only to see Strikedramon there, right at Rika's side. A brief twinge in his body and the boy stood. It seemed as though Ken was going to approach the dragon, but he ran right by, going to Atsushi instead. "You have syrup on your face," Ken said with a giggle.

Strikedramon looked surprised when Ken ran right past him. Atsushi blushed a little and licked his thumb before trying to wipe off the sticky substance. "Did I get it?" he asked.

"No, it's on the other side, silly." Ken licked his own thumb and rubbed the syrup off the corner of Atsushi's chin. "There. Your Digimon kept me up pretty late, you know. Bearmon insisted on sleepover games late into the night."

Atsushi laughed a bit awkwardly. "Thanks. And sorry. It's been a while since they've had anyone to play with."

Strikedramon coughed a bit, turning to look at the assembled group. Seemed everyone was here. "Alright, we're heading out. I'm hoping we can at least make it to the next town over by sundown." Atsushi's Digimon nodded their heads and got in a line behind their tamer.

Ken motioned for Wormmon to get behind him and he practically stood shoulder to shoulder with the other boy. "So do your Digimon always line up in the same order?" he asked with a little shrug.

Violet eyes glanced up at the dragon. "People's feelings change," she said before leading the party out.

"Yeah, they do. Bearmon in front, Monmon in the middle, and Kotemon in back." Atsushi continued answering little casual questions Ken had as the group moved out, crossing over the bridge into the wilds of the continent. Strikedramon and Rika in front, Renamon following behind, and Ken and Atsushi in back, followed by their Digimon. Rika set a fast pace, and it wasn't long before they were making their way through the forest he, Ken, and Wormmon had traversed not that long ago. Strikedramon motioned that they had to climb up a small slope, and it let them out into another forest. This forest had trees that looked almost like palm trees, except they were bearing multi-colored fruit. There were blue bases around each of the trees, which were firmly planted in cracked, dry ground that didn't look like it should be growing any vegetation at all. A harsh wind blew through the valley with a whistling swoosh, but none of the trees moved.

Ken kept glancing at Strikedramon to see if the dragon was going to have any reaction, but there were no signs of him being jealous. Maybe because he wasn't. Ken cringed on the inside. So, that's all it took, huh? One night with Rika and Ryo had gone back to all those old feelings, completely abandoning the promises he had made. Fine then. When a harsh wind blew against their path, Ken gasped and grabbed Atsushi's arm, holding tightly. "Oh! This wind is so horrible, and it's scary how the trees aren't moving. It sort of gives me the creeps."

"Why don't you just grow a pair, violet," Rika scoffed, only squinting slightly when the wind blew against her face. "If you can't handle a breeze like this, then facing a dragon is going to be impossible."

Strikedramon and Renamon stood unphased by the wind, even as it blew his hair and ruffled her fur. Atsushi didn't seem to mind or suspect anything about Ken's behaviors, and grinned as he decided to explain the valley. Showing off his vast knowledge of the area, maybe. "This is called Kicking Forest," he explained. "There's a Veemon living here, but not much else. Mostly because the fruit are impossible to get at unless you..." He went over to one tree and gave a well-aimed kick to the blue base, making the tree finally shake and drop the fruit at the top. He collected the fruit in his arms before offering them to his Digimon, and then to Ken. "Want one?"

Ken gasped and blushed. "You're so clever, Atsushi!" he praised and took a piece of the fruit. Ken bit into it, juice accidentally dripping down the corner of his lip. "Mmm, it's really good."

Strikedramon was finally looking over and gaping. What was going on? He was honestly confused and didn't understand at all what Ken was doing. Or what he was trying to prove, maybe. "We're almost at the tower," he murmured, as he turned to start leading the group deeper into the forest. Atsushi followed, now blushing to himself and his Digimon following him with curious looks of their own.

It was a pending question indeed. What exactly was Ken up to? It was self-defense really. Somewhere in the back of him mind, Ken had decided to detach before he could get hurt. He was going to abandon affection before affection could abandon him. There was no way he would be running into the proverbial park only to find Ryo and Rika holding hands. Ken was sick and tired of fighting for attention only to have the little affection he did manage to acquire all get thrown out the window. There was no competition when it came to Atsushi. There was no other girl, or even guy, Ken had to worry about losing to. So why not play the game a little.

"We've made pretty good time," Rika said, pulling her ponytail secure against the wind. "No better drive than pure focus. Picture the destination in your mind, and you make it there. I bet we'll even have this offer taken down before it gets dark."

"He's going to be tough, so we're going to have to keep focused," Strikedramon murmured. "This guy isn't going to be a pushover we can negotiate with like the early officers. He's probably going to attack as soon as he realizes what all of us are doing there. In fact, when we find the tower, we may even want to Digivolve before we go in." He looked over his shoulder, only to find Atsushi and Ken chatting and likely not paying much attention. "Okay?"

"Got it!" Atsushi and his Digimon said, after jumping a little in their skins.

Ken only scowled. "You don't have to be such a-Wuaaaah!" Just then, two Airdramon came swooping down out of the sky. One roared and flapped its wings as a distraction while the other snatched Ken up in its jaws. "Ryo! Ryo, Wormmon, help me!" the boy cried, reaching for them even as the serpentine dragon whisked him away towards the tower.

"Renamon, let's go," Rika commanded and ran off ahead.


	28. Dream Team

"Ken!" Wormmon gasped, eyes going wide. He instantly Digivolved to Stingmon without a DigiEgg to guide him elsewhere, and took off into the sky after the flying dragons. Strikedramon gasped, forced to follow on foot, and took off after Rika and Renamon.

Atsushi shook his head, looking down at his Digimon. "Let's do it!" he commanded, getting ready nods from all three of them. The small glowing apparatus by his head started to spin quickly as all three of them began to glow. The small monkey-like Monmon turned into Hookmon, a humanoid Digimon in a pirate get-up with a hook for one hand and a cannon for the other. The silent Kotemon shed most of his armor, becoming an almost human-like, but still strikingly reptilian Digimon, Dinohyumon. Covered in green scales but with a humanoid face and body shape, including a lack of a tail, wearing traditional tribal clothing, and with blades on both of his arms and a huge sword strapped to his back. Lastly, Bearmon Digivolved to Grizzlymon, a huge bear covered in blue-gray and white fur, with a cresent moon shape on his forehead and armor covering his front paws and one shoulder. Once they were all Digivolved, Atsushi jumped on Grizzlymon's back and ran up alongside Rika, Renamon, and Strikedramon. "Jump on, it'll be faster!"

Rika nodded and jumped up behind Atsushi. She allowed Renamon to choose between riding and running. Renamon had always been incredibly swift and could no doubt carry herself on her own feet. Hovering around the tower, the Airdramon were taking a closer look at Ken. At first they just picked him up from the group of trespassers, but now they were starting to recognize him. "Hey, this is that same kid who put those collars on us," one of them growled, red eyes studying Ken's face.

"He rode us around like lowly steeds," grumbled the other. Both were clearly insulted by the memory and were good at holding grudges.

Ken just whimpered, trembling as he dangled from the dragon's teeth. "I'm really sorry. I never should have treated you like that..."

Grizzlymon kicked up his speed once Rika was safely on his back as well. Atsushi held tight to his Digimon's thick mane as the bear dashed full-speed towards the tower. Hookmon, Renamon, and Dinohyumon kept pace alongside him, but Strikedramon did not seem content to stick with the pack. A low growl had started at the back of his throat as he watched the Airdramon get further and further away with Ken, and now that they'd landed at the tower, he'd gotten down on all fours and started to pull away from the pack, dashing off after Stingmon, who was approaching the quickest in the air. "Moon Shooter!" he buzzed, shooting at the Airdramon that wasn't holding Ken from afar.

The Airdramon hissed when the attack struck. Ken gasped and tried to get a look at his Digimon. "Stingmon! Stingmon help!" he begged.

The Airdramon holding the boy captive took off into the air while the other stayed behind to fight. "Wing Cutter!" it roared and flapped its wings, sending the dual blades of air at the insect.

"Renamon, I think you should go ahead and evolve," Rika instructed. "See if you can sprint up the side of the tower and use your Dragon Wheel on it."

Stingmon dodged the blasts of air expertly, and again attempted his Moon Shooter. Renamon, meanwhile, nodded her head and took a good leap into the air as Rika's Digivice began to screech. She hit the ground with four feet, having Digivolved into Kyubimon, now with four white paws carrying her swiftly towards the tower. She surpassed Strikedramon, who snarled and started to run faster. Kyubimon was much lighter on her feet, however, and reached the building quickly. As instructed, she started to run up the side, and once she reached the top, she leapt at the Airdramon. "Dragon Wheel!" She began to spin mid-air, the flames on the ends of her many tails growing and eventually enveloping her body. The firey wheel slammed into the Airdramon's back.

The Airdramon growled this time. Getting ganged up on was making him angry, which was a dangerous thing. "Spinning Needle!" it roared again, this time sending out the air spears in numerous directions, attacking all his enemies at once.

The second air serpent watched all of this with a grin on his face. "You all don't stand a chance. My brother and I are Champions." Ken was about to insist that it was three Champions against two, but then he remembered how violent the dim dragons could be when contradicted.

"We didn't come here to fight with you," the boy tried to insist. "We only want to meet with Wingdramon. We want him to stop help leading the war."

The Airdrmon laughed. "That's a stupid idea! Besides, we don't owe the Kaiser anything." Its tone had turned bitter. Then the Airdramon tossed Ken into the air, causing the boy to yelp fearfully. When Ken started to drop, the Airdramon caught the human's arm in his sharp teeth. Ken cried out painfully, now dangling by the one limb.

Kyubimon cried out as she was hit with one of the spears, sent flying back into the roof of the tower. Stingmon managed to dodge and continued his onslaught against the dragon. On the ground, Strikedramon was attempting to scale the wall of the tower, though it was taking him longer than it took Kyubimon. Atsushi was watching the fight with a scowl on his face. "Grizzlymon, get underneath Ken," he instructed. The bear nodded and rushed over beneath where the boy was dangling.

"Hookmon, now!"

"Super Shooter!" the pirate Digimon exclaimed, shooting a flaming bullet from his cannon arm at the Airdramon holding Ken, aimed to go right through its heart.

"Kyubimon!" Rika shouted. There was concern in her voice, but also a tone of firm authority. One attack wasn't nearly enough to take her Digimon down like that. "Get up!" she instructed and then offered encouragement with, "Stand your ground! Fox Tail Inferno!"

The Airdramon toying with Ken was too distracted by its brother's attacks to see the one coming for him. A blazing orange blur was the last thing it saw before giving a thunderous howl and bursting into pixels. Ken immediately began to drop. He closed his eyes and waited for the ground to meet him, only a pair of arms were suddenly wrapped around him. Indigo eyes blinked quickly and then looked up. "A-Atsushi?"

The remaining Airdramon didn't seem to notice Strikedramon yet, rather its attention was on Stingmon who was zipping around this way and that. "Hold still! Wing Cutter!" it growled, sending another two blades of air at the insect assassin.

Kyubimon got to her feet quickly, and started to prepare her attack as she was commanded, the flames on her tails growing bigger and brighter. Strikedramon scrambled onto the roof at the same time, and, still running on all fours, took a flying leap off of the roof towards the second Airdramon. Hookmon had turned and shot another precise bullet, cleanly taking out the second Airdramon. "And you guys thought you wouldn't need me," Atsushi preened with a smirk, looking over his shoulder at Rika smugly as he caught Ken in his arms. The Airdramon dissipated from underneath Strikedramon, and he let out a roar as he started to fall towards the ground. Dinohyumon and Stingmon both gasped, one leaping and the other swooping towards Strikedramon from both ground and air. Both grabbed one of his arms, and safely brought him to the ground. They both seemed relieved until Strikedramon started to writhe and snap at them. They let go of his arms and jumped back, and Strikedramon took off like a shot towards the tower again.

Rika only stared at the goggled boy with a bit of a grim line on her lips. "Don't get cocky, we're not done yet," she warned. Rika believed firmly that any and all congratulations only occurred after the total win. Ken winced at the pain in his arm. He'd had terrible luck with that limb so far, having been burned, broken and now bitten. Ken watched as Strikedramon charged in a rage back towards the tower. Why on earth was he so rampant? None of the enemies here were even Virus types. Ken didn't have long to dwell on the matter before a deep rumbling was heard from inside the tower.

It grew louder and more violent until a huge blue dragon burst from the roof, throwing off any Digimon that had been perched up there. Wingdramon was covered in blue scales with red stripes going down his back, tail, and elbow wings. There was white plating on his chest and face which bloomed into sharp orange spikes. Growing from its back was a long narrow lance, and gripped in each hand was a yellow stone. Wingdramon hovered effortlessly in the air thanks to the scales on his much larger back wings, defying gravity itself. "Why have you attacked my soldiers?" he asked, voice booming through the air.

"Holy shit," Atsushi breathed, his eyes going wider when he saw Wingdramon emerge from the tower. Kyubimon had been thrown into the air by the roof exploding, but landed on her feet near Stingmon, Hookmon, and Dinohyumon. The four stood their ground with Grizzlymon looking on from behind with all three kids on his back, and Strikedramon now at the base of the tower, trying to climb its destroyed walls to get to Wingdramon.

Why have you attacked my soldiers!" Wingdramon bellowed once more, almost making the ground shake with his tone.

Rika hissed and nudged Ken in the shoulder. "That's your cue, Violet."

Ken jumped slightly since he too had been caught in marevling the beast's size and strength. "O-Oh! Um..." He sat up a bit more in Atsushi's lap, hoping to be seen and heard better. "I understand you are the Colonel of the Vaccine army?"

Wingdramon flapped his wings once; not because he needed to, but to exhert his authority. "I am," he answered calmly. "I oversee the attacks on behalf of the Cleansing and report back to the General." His fiery orange eyes narrowed at the group. "I've heard through the ranks that a human and his Digimon have been removing our officers from their position of power. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"

Now Ken swallowed nervously. "Well, we aren't doing it to weaken your forces. We've been doing the same thing on the Virus side. Colonel, we only ask that you listen to us. We want the war to end. Can't peaceful negotiations be conducted instead of all this fighting?"

Most of the Digimon were listening to Ken's words, tense and ready to spring back into action at the faintest sign of Wingdramon going to attack. Atsushi was even getting off of Grizzlymon, to place Ken on his feet and let his Digimon join the line of their makeshift army, which would have looked even more impressive if it wasn't short one of its most intimidating members. Strikedramon had climbed up onto the highest part of the wall of the tower that hadn't been destroyed, and was now swatting angrily at Wingdramon's long, whip-like tail, even though it was moving far too quickly for him to even hope to wound. "Virus types can hardly be reasoned with," Wingdramon insisted. "It was only a matter of time before they turned on us."

Ken shook his head. "But that just isn't true. Look at us," he insisted and gestured to the line of Digimon. "Our group has Virus, Vaccine and Data all working together."

Wingdramon actually seemed to be considering this. He did indeed see two Virus, two Data, and at least one Vaccine Digimon standing together. His soldiers were now dead, so clearly this team could work together properly. "The decision to end the war is still not mine to make," he said, trying to make all points on his side clear as well.

Ken nodded. "We understand that. Our goal has been to encourage each officer to resign peacefully. We've had some success, but at other times we had to use force. We would much rather do this peacefully. With your permission, we want to seek out Alphamon, have council with him." Strikedramon was snarling and trying to catch Wingdramon's tail, perhaps hoping to get onto it and climb up the huge dragon's body to attack his face. Kyubimon growled under her breath and started to run towards the tower to try and get him down. The rampaging Digimon could completely ruin their chances at getting past this officer without a fight.

"Kyubimon!" Rika snapped, but it was too late.

Wingdramon was well aware of her movements. He even interpreted her path, turning to see the dragon-man ready to pounce. "What is this!" he roared. "You would attack a soldier from behind? Coward!"

"No!" Ken cried, desperate to fix the situation could get any worse. "Please, he's not thinking straight! We'll get him down! Just-"

Only Wingdramon would hear none of it. He'd been betrayed and that was that. "Blaze Sonic Breath!" he roared, opening his mighty jaws and releasing a wave of scorching fire. Ken shouted for his Digimon to help. To do anything. Rika was suddenly shuffling through her cards, looking for something that would empower her own Digimon against the strong foe.

"Digivolve!" Atsushi shouted. The device by his head started to spin. The firey breath flooded over Strikedramon, completely engulfing his figure where he stood. Kyubimon skidded to a stop, her eyes going wide. Atsushi's Digimon all changed in a flash, ready to fight. Hookmon turned into Armormon, who looked like a cyber solider centaur, covered in thick black armor and appendages armed with guns. Dinohyumon Digivolved into Kyukimon, a large, pink weasel-like creature with blades for arms and a thick blue mane and tail. Grizzlymon stood upright and became GrapLeomon, a lion-like Digimon with saber teeth, an armored body, and turbines on her arms and legs that immedietely began to spin once the light of evolution dissipated. But the stream of fire had already set the tower ablaze, and Strikedramon had become lost in the embers.

Ken screamed, horrified at the idea of an egg being the only thing left standing when the flames would eventually die down. Rika finally pulled out her AncientMermaimon card. She swiped it through the D-Arc, relying on the Great Maelstrom attack to help put out the raging inferno, or at the very least, allow her Digimon to go in and get Strikedramon out. Meanwhile, Wingdramon turned his attention on the rest of the group. "You may stand together, but you stand together against my cause, and for that I cannot show mercy. Wing Blast!" He took off at a dangerous speed then, swooping right over their heads and bringing the shock wave with him.

A huge tornado of water, like a whirlpool that stood on its own, suddenly touched down in the center of the tower, effectively putting out the flames, but spinning faster and faster with no signs of dissipating. Kyubimon grit her teeth and turned to shout something at Rika, only for all of the Digimon to let out frustrated cries as Windramon swooped over them and knocked them all over. Atsushi's Digimon quickly got back up onto their feet. Kyukimon and GrapLeomon started to run after Wingdramon's retreating form, while Armormon simply stood his ground and aimed every gun he had at the dragon's back. "Justice Strike!" he shouted in a mechanical voice, firing all of the guns off at once with a defeaning boom.

"You're making it worse," Ken hissed at Rika, watching her Digimon's attack spin out of control.

Violet eyes glared back at him. "I don't see you doing anything to help," she snapped back.

"You want to see what I can do? Fine." Ken pulled out his D-Terminal, flipping it open and pulling up the eggs folder. "Stingmon, get on the landing and get ready to freeze the maelstrom!" The DigiEgg of Frienship was selected and then activated. "Digimental Up!"

"Blaze Sonic Breath!" Meanwhile, Wingdramon had turned to face the barrage of ammunition. In one fiery breath he whiped out the attack. "Explode Sonic Lance!" he roared and started to dive straight for them, quickly gaining speed as he went.

Stingmon landed as he was instructed, de-Digivolving to Wormmon only to be quickly engulfed by the light of evolution again. "Wormmon Digivolve to... Togemogumon!" The blue mole was revealed, and stomped his feet, sending his crystals in all directions. "Crystal Guard!" A huge, icy barrier was raised in front of Wingdramon's face, and the excess crystals that shot towards the watery tornado froze it perfectly.

Wingdramon roared again as he went crashing through the barrier. The lance on his back pierced it first, weakening the ice enough for his body to break. The mighty dragon crashed head first, skidding across the ground, sending rubble and dust up as he went. Ken's attention was still on the frozen maelstrom. Besides, he knew Astushi could handle it. "Use your Infrared Ray to see if Strikedramon is in there!"

Rika scoffed. "Of course he's in there. We need to hurry and get him out. Kyubimon, Fox Tail Inferno! Melt that ice."

"Wait!" Ken gasped, "You might hurt him!"

Atsushi's Digimon all shouted and scattered when the dragon came crashing through the barrier. Wormmon De-Digivolved, preparing to evolve into the next armor form, but realized Ken was too busy watching on in horror as Kyubimon spread out her tails, preparing to melt the ice. She hesitated, however, eyes widening when she realized that the ice tower was starting to quiver. It suddenly exploded in a shower of sharp ice crystals that rained down onto the battlefield. From within the ice tower shot a huge figure, covered in shimmering silver and black armor and being carried towards Wingdramon at an alarming rate with ragged, blood red wings. "Cyberdramon," she gasped, watching as he shot past her like a bullet, claws extended and teeth bared.

"Desolation... Claw!" he roared, producing a super-oscillatory wave with two swipes of the blades on his arms. There wasn't enough time at all for Wingdramon to take off into the air again. The scales on his wings might have blocked gravity, but he was a heavy beast to get off the ground, even for his own body. So when Cyberdramon came barreling at him like that, the blue dragon didn't stand a chance. Some screeching wail of a roar was heard before Wingdramon exploded into pixel dust.

Cyberdramon landed on the ground where Wingdramon had been lying, landing on one knee. He stood up and lifted his head as the pixelated dust fell down around him, tail lashing from side to side. All of Atsushi's Digimon devolved then, and Monmon tried to approach Cyberdramon to congradulate him. "Hey, good jo-!" he started, running towards the dragon. Cyberdramon let out a loud snarl and instantly got down on all fours, snapping his jaws at the small green monkey, who fell backwards, eyes wide with surprise and fear. Bearmon and Kotemon quickly rushed over to him and dragged him away before Cyberdramon pounced, landing where Monmon had been.

"Don't!" Ken shouted. Indigo eyes looked toward the other boy. "Don't let your Virus Digimon near him!" Those same eyes then glanced towards his own Digimon, giving the little worm a silent instruction to stay put until Cyberdramon was under control. Ken approached the black dragon, taking slow steps with his hands raised, trying to show he had no weapons. "Ryo... Ryo, it's me, Ken. Can you hear me?"

Atsushi quickly ran over and scooped Monmon up in his arms, running over towards Wormmon to stand back where he was, a safe distance away. Cyberdramon turned his slavering jaws towards Ken, seemingly staring at him as he spoke, though it was hard to tell when his eyes were covered by a silver helmet. He roared again and pounced, this time at the boy. "Get back!" Kyubimon shouted, running towards Ken and butting her head into his back, flipping him onto hers before gracefully darting away. "You can't reason with Cyberdramon like you can with Strikedramon," she said in a quick, firm voice.

"You didn't even let me try!" Ken yelled and attempted to climb off her back. "I have to talk him down! It's the only way. We might be able to hold onto Ryo for a little longer. Just let me try!"

"Do you want to get yourself killed?!" Kyubimon barked, fanning her tail to try and keep him from going past her. "We've seen this happen enough times. Unless you've got Ryo's whip to force him to calm down, you're just going to need to let him rampage for a little while." Cyberdramon, meanwhile, was standing in the middle of the circle, looking around at each person and Digimon in turn, nostrils flaring.

"But I do have a-" Ken stopped himself right there. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure he wanted to share that information. He wasn't confident in his ability to use it properly. Last time he brought out the whip, Strikedramon turned on him and they both got buried in rubble. Meanwhile, Rika was standing in her spot apart from the others. She very simply had her arms over her chest and was staring Cyberdramon down when he looked her way.

Kyubimon gave Ken a critical look, pawing at the dirt and glancing nervously over at Cybedramon as he stared down her partner. "If you have something that could help, it would be greatly appreciated," she said flatly. Cyberdramon had locked his gaze on Rika, taking in her defiant stature, and began to approach her slowly, flapping his torn and ragged wings and baring his teeth in an intimidating display.

Rika didn't turn her gaze away for a second. She didn't relatiate or put on her own display. Rather, she just stood her ground. "Why don't you just calm down," she said to the dragon.

Ken watched hestitantly as the two head strong personalities began to face off. "I... I don't know that I should..."

"If he attacks her..." Kyubimon murmured, her voice trailing off. She was starting to become tense, ready to jump in if things got ugly. Cyberdramon took another few steps towards Rika, then got back up onto his hind legs, absolutely towering over her as he rose to his full height. His tail smacked against the ground angrily and he let out a defeaning roar.

Rika waited until he was finished. She fixed a few hairs that had been displaced and then calmly she sighed, "Yeah, yeah, you're a big scary brute. We all get it, but the show is over." When Cyberdramon hunched down at her again, Rika reached out boldly. One of her hands cupped beneath his jaw while the other began to pet down the metal mask on his face. Ken gasped. That was supposed to be his thing! Rika hushed the dragon gently, moving her hand slowly and in one direction so as to calm him. "The fight is done now. You did your job. Good boy... The fight is done." It was the opportunity she had been waiting for, really. Ryo never gave her the chance to prove she could handle his Digimon. Rika naturally held command, but she'd learned to be soft as well. The perfect combination.

Cyberdramon continued to growl, but his tail slowly became less active. It came to rest on the ground, the end occasionally flicking in annoyance, but its showy lashing completely done. His wings gave a flap and he continued to bare his teeth, but he'd seemed to calm down, and his growl steadily got quieter. Kyubimon and Atsushi both seemed to relax as well, though the tension in the air didn't truely dissipate until Cyberdramon closed his black lips over his teeth.

"You good now?" the girl asked, still petting the plated face. "We'll set off again really soon. Can you wait?" Ken felt sick to his stomach. In one swoop Rika came in and tamed the beast. He had been traveling with bio-merged Digimon for months and she just joined the them the other day, yet already she earned control over him. It wasn't fair! What was it? Why did Cyberdramon hate him so much? Was it because of the infection? Cyberdramon was infected, too! Ken could feel himself shaking as he watched Rika cooing at the dragon, yet still able to be so firm with him.

Cyberdramon nodded his head slightly before pulling it away from her hands and standing upright again. Atsushi stared at him more a few moments, and though the huge dragon seemed calm now, he decided to keep holding Monmon. Just in case. "So now what?" he finally decided to ask, after silence had prevailed for a few moments.

Rika looked over at Ken, expecting an answer from him. When the pale boy just continued to stand there, she snapped her fingers at him. "Violet? Violet? ...Ken!"

"Wh-What?" Ken finally snapped to attention. He looked around at everyone, seeing their expectant faces turned upon him. "O-Oh... Um, we have to go confront the Infection General, Gaiomon. He lives in the Dark Area." Ken frowned at Atsushi as he said this. "I'm sorry, but... it's off the continent."

Atsushi frowned gently, but then put a smile back on his face. "Well... I expected that. I can at least travel with you guys and offer my help until you need to leave. Make sure you take off safe." All of his Digimon nodded then, pumping their fists.

Ken nodded as well. "We'd appreciate it."

"Well let's stop standing around talking about it and actually get to it," Rika said. She nodded for Kyubimon to devolve and then motioned for Cyberdramon to follow. "We're going for a long walk," she told the dragon. "Don't run too far ahead or you'll tire out, got it?"

Ken just approached Wormmon, picking his Digimon up and finally congratulating him on the fight. "You did a good job, Wormmon."

Cyberdramon didn't give any indication of paying attention, just started to trudge off. Kyubimon devolved to Renamon in a flash of light, and passed Ken as she went to join her tamer.

"In the end, it's just best that no one got hurt. No matter who resolved the issue," she said sagely, before darting up towards Rika.

Ken wanted to ask why is was so easy for Rika, but then he figured out that there was probably no answer. At the very least, it would be an answer he didn't want to hear. Cyberdramon reacted better to Rika, which meant the Digimon half really did trust her and the human half really did recognize her. It seemed neither rang true for the pale boy. Ken decided to turn to Atsushi instead as they began to move. "Your team was amazing."

"Thanks," Atsushi said, smiling gently. "They've been with me through a lot, these three. There's little they can't handle." He was petting back Monmon's tuft of hair, still holding him closely. "But that Cyberdramon... he did what my Digimon could have done as a team with a single attack..."

"There's a lot more to Cyberdramon than what you see," Ken tried to explain. "That's what makes him so incredibly powerful, and so dangerously wild..."

"I figured," Atsushi murmured gently. "There seems to be something... wrong about him." Cyberdramon kept swinging his head from side to side, as if expecting something to try and attack him. Or perhaps hoping for it.

Ken nodded. "Have you... heard of Millenniummon, Atsushi?"

"No, I don't think so," Atsushi answered, shaking his head. "Why?"

"Well, you would understand why Cyberdramon is the way he is if you did, but it's a long story to tell." Ken sighed. "I guess... All you need to know is that Cyberdramon is... Kind of possessed. I think that's the best way to put it."

"Possessed?" Atsushi echoed. He thought about it for a moment, but then sighed and rolled his eyes back. "Well, if it's a long story, I'm okay with just knowing that. I'll just... have to be extra careful with Monmon."

Ken nodded again. "He shouldn't attack out of the blue. I'm hoping there's just enough of Ryo left in him to keep that basic level of control. Otherwise, Monmon shouldn't approach Cyberdramon or engage him while they're in battle." Indigo eyes looked down at the insect in his arms. "I came close to losing Wormmon to Strikedramon."

Wormmon had a bit of a worried look on his face, antenna twitching gently. "And that was just Strikedramon," he warbled. "As much as we hope Ryo's still awake in there... I think we're seeing way more of Cyberdramon now."

"Rika calmed him down like it was nothing..." Ken murmured softly. "He responded so well to her..."

"You appeal to Ryo, but she appeals to Cyberdramon. He's known her longer," Wormmon pointed out.

Ken exhaled heavily. "Or maybe Ryo is just that happy to have her back."

"You can't really know," Wormmon murmured gently. "Cyberdramon can't talk."

Ken wasn't so convinced. Ken wasn't doing himself any favors, either, being paranoid like he was. Rika was the monkeywrench in his plan. She'd come in at the worst time. Ken was supposed to bond with Cyberdramon, learn to control him, gain the dragon's trust. Now none of that was going to happen. With Rika's elegant command over Cyberdramon, Ryo was bound to notice while inside. He would no doubt be reminded of all the reasons he loved her in the first place. Well... Ken wasn't going to get heart broken again. He just wasn't. "It's really brilliant... the way you direct all three of your Digimon," Ken said to Atsushi, putting on his kind and flirtacious face once more.

"Thanks," Atsushi said, looking down at Kotemon and Bearmon, who were walking neatly in line behind him, as they usually did. "Too bad we were a bit out of form in that last fight. I was hoping we could help you guys a bit more."

"Are you kidding?" Ken leaned over and touched shoulders with the other boy. "You guys were amazing. You took out those Airdramon like they were nothing. And..." Ken smiled, even blushed. "You were so brave to catch me like that. My hero."

Atsushi blushed a little too, shuffling his foot as he took his next step. "You think so?" he answered, laughing gently.

He nodded. "Of course. You could have sent a Digimon in to catch me, or even let me fall and fend for myself. You charged right up under that Digimon, right into his line of fire, just so you could catch me." Ken gave Atsushi a kiss on the cheek suddenly. "Definitely my hero for that."

Atsushi gasped and put a hand on his cheek. He was so dazed by the sudden event that he didn't notice that Cyberdramon had stopped- not until he bumped into the huge dragon and nearly jumped out of his skin for it. "Wh-why'd he stop?" he asked, and recieved as an answer frantic shrugs and shakes of the head from his Digimon, and a snarl from Cyberdramon.

"I don't know, it's so hard to tell why Cyberdramon does a lot of things." Ken stood closed to Atsushi, their shoulders still touching. He looked up at the black dragon and shrugged. "Maybe he smells a Virus around here somewhere."

Cyberdramon continued to snarl over his shoulder, but made no move to run off after a scented enemy. "I don't know, I think he might just not like Monmon," Atsushi murmured. He backed away from the dragon a few paces, and that seemed to appease the Digimon, as he let out a snort and then started trudging forward again.

Ken frowned a little. "I'm sorry about that. I don't doubt he'd be friendlier under different circumstance. Just don't take it personally. After all..." Ken leaned over to gently pinch one of the red marks on Monmon's cheek. "Who could hate such a cute little guy?" Monmon giggled a little, and from the ground, Bearmon pointed into his open mouth with his claw to show his disgust with the statement. Wormmon was just giving his boy a weird look. He knew Ken was acting, and it bothered him a little in how obvious it was to only him. "So, what do you do outside in your world?" Ken asked Atsushi.

Rika glanced over her shoulder from where she led the pack. She kept a little further ahead of Cyberdramon, but not so much that she couldn't see what he was up to. She frowned at the pale boy's behavior. "It's like he's not even taking this seriously."

"Uh, well, I usually just hang out with my friends, Teddy and Ivy. They play Digimon Online too, but not as much as me." He fixed his goggles, smiling a little then. "I play sports sometimes too, and go to school. Nothing really exciting. I spend most of my time in here."

Renamon glanced over her shoulder, watching the boy for a moment before turning to her tamer. "He's very disturbed by us joining the team," she said flatly.

"You don't happen to play soccer, do you?" Ken asked with something of a knowing smirk.

The observation only made Rika frown even more. "Well that's his own issue that he needs to work out. Unless all our heads are one hundred percent in this game, we're going to lose."

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Atsushi asked.

"It is, and that's true," Renamon murmured, "But he's not going to realize that on his own." Her tail flicked as she carefully chose her words. "I know you're used to being one of the backseat leaders to a timid figurehead, but this kid isn't Takato. He doesn't know you. You're going to need to talk to him."

The pale boy laughed. "Every boy I know who wears goggles plays soccer as well," Ken replied. "It seems to be a rule the universe has set into place."

"About what?" Rika asked, her tone on the verge of scoffing. "I'm not his therapist or his mother. He can carry his own baggage."

"Huh, weird," Atsushi answered, raising his brows.

"About working together as a team," Renamon said with a flick of her tail. "Once we leave Atsushi and his Digimon at the border, it'll be just us, Cyberdramon, and that boy and his Digimon. We won't have all of our usual teammates helping out. We'll need to carefully formulate any attack plans, and that won't work if he's pointedly ignoring you."

Ken shuffled his feet a bit as they walked. "So, do you have any brothers or sisters? I bet you have a sister."

"I get the feeling he'll want to start a cat fight with me instead," Rika said. She sighed and nodded, though. "You're right, Renamon. With Ryo too dormant to make decisions, it'll be up to me and Ken. Sometimes working alone is so much easier. If it was you and me against the world, Renamon, I don't think I'd mind."

"Nah, no siblings," Atsushi laughed, finally letting Monmon down and putting his hands behind his head. The green monkey rejoined the line behind him, following at his tamer's heels.

Up front, Renamon smiled gently. "It was like that for a while, wasn't it?" she hummed. "But even if working alone is easier when it comes to making choices, there's power in numbers. And this... as much as we may want to, we can't do this one alone."

Ken set Wormmon down as well, letting the insect walk alongside side the boy like he usually preferred. Then Ken took Atsushi's arm, lacing his own with it, and leaning his head on Atsushi's shoulder. "So did you pick your Digimon, or were they here waiting for you?"

Rika was quiet for a few minutes. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon ahead of them. She was thinking about the task ahead and who she had to rely on. "I wish Lee was here," she murmured, the affection coming through in the way she said the name that not many people knew.

Atsushi smiled a little, swallowing dryly. "I picked them. There's nine different Digimon offered to Digimon Online players when they first start out, and you pick three of them. From there you can recruit more and switch your team around, but I always stuck with these guys."

"Lee?" Renamon echoed, thinking for a minute about who she was referring to. The jolt of recognition in her eyes said that she remembered that Lee was Henry's traditional name. "Ah... We couldn't contact him for help, could we?"

Ken nodded. "Where do they get all the Monmon or Bearmon?" he asked. These Digimon were still the same as Wormmon or Veemon, alive individuals, who just happened to find an alternative method to getting partners. They had to come from somewhere.

"Of all the summers to visit China for schooling," she sighed. "He had to miss my big shoot, too. I can only call him Sunday nights. It's not enough time, either. I miss him," Rika confessed, but only loud enough for her own Digimon to hear.

"Beats me," Atsushi answered. "I'm guessing they must get their hands on their eggs somehow and hatch 'em themselves."

Renamon nodded gently, ears flicking back a bit. "I see." She looked at Cyberdramon, and then at Ken, and then back to her tamer. "I think there's a really easy way to fix the problems you and Ken are having."

"Ryo says all the eggs come from a tree of life somewhere in the Digital World," Ken said a bit dreamily. "I wish I could go see it."

Rika looked up at her Digimon. "How's that?"

"Why don't you?" Atsushi asked, smiling. "If I could leave this contintent and go see it, I'd do it in a heartbeat!"

"He's jealous," Renamon said simply. "This tension could be explained away."

Ken shrugged a little. "I don't know where it is, exactly, and Ryo's not in a position anymore to take me. Maybe at the end of all this, when he's back to normal and the war is over..."

"I don't have to explain my personal relationships to him," Rika huffed.

Atsushi looked down at the boy leaning against his shoulder with a bit of a forlorn expression. "That sounds like it could be nice."

"Then you can both go on not understanding each other and can ultimately ruin any semblance of a collaborative effort with stubbornness and jealousy," Renamon said flatly.

"I wish I could take you with me," Ken said quietly.

Rika opened her mouth to argue, but she closed it when nothing came out. Violet eyes turned back on the horizon for a while before she said anything again. "When did I start taking steps backwards?"

"Yeah," Atsushi answered, in a voice that was just as subdued.

"When you started to worry," Renamon answered sagely.

Rika smirked slightly. "Me, worry? Renamon, I think you have me confused with someone else."

Renamon laughed gently. "If the inner you is someone else entirely, then I suppose I have."

They walked until dusk when finally they reached the ocean on the other side of the continent. In the morning they would have to venture out, but Atsushi wouldn't be able to go with them. Ken hung onto the boy, though, wanting the company. Rika started a small fire that kept them warm despite the cool breeze coming up off the water. "Lay down," she said firmly to Cyberdramon and pointed at the ground beside her. "Lay down." Atsushi and his Digimon sat around the fire, with Ken and Wormmon on his other side. Renamon was sitting lotus style on the opposite side of the fire, watching as her tamer fruitlessly tried to get the dragon to comply. Cyberdramon was standing tall, determinedly not listening to her command. He even turned his nose up the second time he demanded it. "Hey," Rika frowned and snapped her fingers. "Lay down, Cyberdramon. We're going to sleep now and then go in the morning. We need our strength to fight. Now, lay down."

Ken just rolled his eyes. Cyberdramon was his own Digimon, so good luck with that. Ken took Atsushi's hand and stood, taking the boy with him into the cover of the reeds that grew tall all along the shore. "You're so great... Having come all this way with us. I'm just sorry you have to turn around and go back tomorrow."

Cyberdramon just snarled, tail lashing, and flapping his wings to kick up sand. Atsushi followed after Ken, looking decidedly confused. The poor guy had been recieving more mixed signals than he knew what to do with. "Well... there's not much to be done about it, sadly," he murmured. "I can't leave the continent, even though I want to."

"Atsushi..." Ken slowed to a stop, "can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure," Atsushi answered, his voice still reflecting his confusion.

"The thing that lives inside Cyberdramon... it lives inside me, too." As Ken said this, he turned and moved his hair, revealing the angry scar on the back of his neck.

Atsushi's eyes went wide as Ken revealed the scar. He lifted his hand to touch it, but thought better of it and awkwardly folded both of his hands in front of his torso instead, wringing at his fingers. "Does it... change you, too?"

Ken nodded. "It did once, in a way." He let his hair fall back into place and turned to face Atsushi again. "I became an evil tyrant known as the Digimon Kaiser. I enslaved Digimon and did horrible things to them. Luckily, the other Chosen Children saved me. I'm afraid the influence still lingers and makes me a bit of a brat sometimes. I get depressed now and then, too. It's hard... having this thing inside me. No one else quite knows what I go through, so... I get lonely more than anything. I want to be with other humans so badly so that I can feel like one, too."

"Oh..." Atsushi didn't seem to know how to react to that. The story was unlike any he'd ever heard. He knew of Digimon becoming corrupt, but people? It seemed hard to believe, and he probably wouldn't have if not for that scar. "I guess... I can understand that," he murmured, putting his hands in his pockets instead and turning towards the water that would seperate them come the next morning. "I can't say I can really understand how that would feel, though..."

"Atsushi..." Ken followed the other boy. He could see the flicker of the fire through the reeds. He could also see that no one seemed to care they were still gone. "If I told you I didn't want to be lonely tonight, what would you do?" Ken asked and touched Atsushi's arm.

Atsushi seemed to jump a little, eyes flicking over to Ken surprisedly and a blush searing his face. "Um... I'd ask you to clarify," he answered, throat sounding a little dry.

"My heart was broken by the one person I learned to trust after years of suffering alone in the darkness. He chose a girl over me and hasn't approached me since. Now, the person I was learning to love had turned into a beast and his affections are waning from me. He's going back to her. That Rika girl." Indigo eyes looked up at the boy in the backwards cap, gleaming as the big full moon reflected in their dark depths. "I know you like me, Atsushi. You're very charming and heroic. Can't you save me from my saddness and lonelieness, just this one night? I want... need... to feel someone's hands. I have to be touched. I have to know a human somewhere cares about me. Even just a little."

Atsushi swallowed, tearing his eyes away from the ocean to look down at Ken. A cold wind came up off the water then, rustling his short brown hair and giving him a foreboding chill. "But... you still care for him, right?" he murmured, reaching out a hand and resting it against Ken's arm. "What if you come to regret it?"

Ken knew in his heart he would regret it. Already he was regretting asking, but he was just so desperate. Ken's selfish need to be loved was so crippling and overwhelming. He was surprised he hadn't strayed sooner, and with less caring, less forgiving strangers. "Why does it have to be like this?" the pale boy whispered as he fought back tears. "You and I have been given a chance, only to know that it won't... that it can't be real..."

Atsushi could see those tears threatening to crest, and offered his arms to pull the other boy close, letting his head rest in the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry, Ken."

Ken wrapped his arms around Atsushi and cried very quietly into the front of his shirt. He didn't sob or shudder like he usually did. It was almost like a quiet resolve or a private mourning. Ken just wished he could make a human relationship that lasted long enough to mean anything. Osamu was taken too soon. Davis broke his heart. Ryo hardly recognized him anymore. And now Atsushi would have to leave because there was no outside relationship to be had. Ken's shoulders shook slightly as he cried, taking comfort at least in the fact that the other boy had a warm embrace. "I'm sorry," he finally managed. "I've been so inconsiderate."

"Don't apologize," Atsushi answered. "I couldn't imagine being in your place. This is... so much more real for you. I'm sure you've all been through more than I'll ever experience in my life. And I'm sure it's hard." He hesitantly reached his hand up and started to stroke down Ken's hair, which had become slightly displaced by the wind.

The boy made a quiet noise and leaned into the touch ever so slightly. "Atsushi, could I have a kiss? Just on the cheek. It's all I want. Please..."

Atsushi smiled softly, nodding his head. That was harmless, and if it would make Ken feel better, he wasn't complaining. "Yeah, okay." He leaned down, placing a chaste peck on the other boy's tear-streaked cheek. And, feeling a little bold, he also brushed back Ken's bangs and left another on his forehead.

Ken sighed softly. "Thank you, Atsushi." He pushed up on his toes to leave a kiss on the brunet's cheek as well. They emerged from the reeds together, finding most of the camp to be asleep. All of Atsushi's Digimon had piled together with Monmon snoring quietly on top. Wormon was curled up next to the fire while Renamon sat in her usual lotus style with her eyes closed. Cyberdramon was lying down away from the group, both on guard and keeping himself at bay. Only Rika was still awake, poking idly at the small flickering flames. She watched them approach with a strange look in her eyes, but Ken paid her no mind. Instead, he just laid down beside his Digimon and closed his eyes.


End file.
